TRANSPORT

Airports: Noise

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the potential change in the number of people living within the 57dB Leq noise contour of each major UK airport arising as a result of the aviation expansion set out in the Aviation White Paper.

Gillian Merron: Detailed estimates were set out in "The Future Development of Air Transport" White Paper published in December 2003. These estimates were largely based on the modelling undertaken in a number of earlier detailed studies—SERAS (The South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study), RAS (The Regional Air Services Study), RASCO (The Regional Air Services Coordination Study) and the Part 3 Runway Studies.
	Last December's progress report reiterated the Government's aim that the number of people in the UK significantly affected by aircraft noise should be limited and, where possible, reduced. The White Paper and the progress report, and documents relating to the main studies and the consultation can be viewed on the Department for Transport's website:
	www.dft.gov.uk.

Aviation: Exhaust Emissions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the likely change in the levels of emissions as a result of expansion of aviation outlined in the Government's Air Transport Strategy; and what provisions will be made to ensure that such emissions do not prevent the UK meeting its 2050 emissions targets.

Gillian Merron: The "Future of Air Transport" White Paper set out forecasts for carbon dioxide emissions. The technical paper underpinning these, "Aviation and Global Warming", was published in January 2004 and is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/air/docs/aviationandglobalwarmingreport
	We announced in the "Future of Air Transport Progress Report" (December 2006) that updated emissions forecasts would be published in 2007.
	The Government have made clear the importance it attaches to addressing the environmental impacts of air travel. However, international aviation is not included in the UK's targets as there is no internationally agreed method for allocating such emissions between states.

Aviation: Ministers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) the original and  (b) the current estimated costs are for the royal and ministerial air travel project; and from what budgets resources are being drawn.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 908W. The service will be funded from existing travel budgets at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

Bus Lanes

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus lanes are in operation in England.

Gillian Merron: The Department does not hold a comprehensive register or inventory of how many bus lanes are in operation in England.
	English local authorities (outside London) do report the numbers and lengths of new bus lane schemes to the Department. They reported that a total of 953 schemes (bus lanes, showcase bus routes and high occupancy vehicle lanes), with a total length of just over 5,000km, had been implemented in the five years up to March 2006.

Bus Services: Concessions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many students over 16-years-old in Warrington are eligible for concessionary bus travel; and what percentage of those students live in each of the parliamentary constituencies within the borough.

Gillian Merron: Information on take-up of the concession in Warrington is not held centrally. Local authorities hold details of their residents who applied for concessionary travel.

Bus Services: Concessions

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the rate of take-up of free bus fares for the over 60s has been in each local authority or metropolitan area since the introduction of the scheme.

Gillian Merron: Information on the take-up of bus passes for each travel concession authority is not held centrally. This information can be obtained from the individual authorities.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology is used by his Department to account for its carbon emissions.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport uses DEFRA conversion factors when measuring, and reporting on, its carbon emissions. These may be accessed at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/envrp/gas/envrpgas-annexes.pdf

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what properties the Department  (a) owned and  (b) rented in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate has been made of the value of his Department's property portfolio.

Gillian Merron: The most recent estimate (as at 31 March 2007) valued the Department's property portfolio at £558,082,556.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of leasing buildings and office space for  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Publicity

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on advertising by  (a) the Department and  (b) its non-departmental agencies in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The majority of advertising investment by the central Department is in support of the THINK! Road Safety and Act on C02 campaigns. DVLA's main advertising expenditure has been to support the introduction of continuous registration.
	
		
			   Total (£) 
			 2002-03 18,801,068 
			 2003-04 20,862,013 
			 2004-05 18,883,318 
			 2005-06 21,235,914 
			 2006-07 23,966,258 
		
	
	Figures for non-departmental agencies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fares Technology

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 24 May,  Official Report, column 1459W, on fares technology, whether the proposed timetable would allow for smartcards to be used in time for the start of the national concessionary fares scheme in April 2008.

Gillian Merron: The Department is currently consulting on the proposed concessionary bus travel pass specification. The consultation paper considers all options such as whether the pass should be specified in ITSO smartcard form.
	Our discussions to date with potential suppliers suggests that smartcards can be produced in time for the start of the national concessionary travel scheme.
	Passes would be used as smartcards in areas which had smart-readers on buses, and used as flash passes (i.e. shown to bus drivers) in other areas. We would not require all buses to install smart-readers by April 2008.
	A final decision on whether we will require smartcards from April 2008 will be made in light of consultation responses and our further discussions with potential suppliers.

Parking: Accidents

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents occurred in car parks in each of the last five years in  (a) Scotland and  (b) the UK; and how many (i) deaths and (ii) injuries resulted from those accidents in each category.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available.

Public Transport: Concessions

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether passes for the new national concessionary fares scheme in England will be valid in Wales and Scotland.

Gillian Merron: The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill, currently before Parliament, contains a power to allow, via future regulations, for mutual recognition of bus passes across the UK. The Department has had initial discussions with the devolved administrations about the proposal and all indicated support for including the power in the Bill. However they also acknowledged that we would need to discuss it further and work together to resolve the various technical and resource issues before mutual recognition could be pursued in practice.
	In the mean time, local authorities in England already have the flexibility—which the Bill does not change—to offer more than the statutory concession to their residents, taking into account local circumstances, for example, free travel in the vicinity of the local authority, which could include, across borders.

Railways: Death

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatalities there were in the last  (a) five years and  (b) six months on the Norwich to London 'One' Railway.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, E-mail:
	general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Railways: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average travel times were by rail between Eastbourne and London stations in each year since 1997.

Tom Harris: The average travel time between Eastbourne and London is outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  Journey time in minutes 
			   From London to Eastbourne  From Eastbourne to London 
			 1997 89 92 
			 1998 87 92 
			 1999 87 89 
			 2000 87 89 
			 2001 87 89 
			 2002 87 90 
			 2003 87 90 
			 2004 88 90 
			 2005 88 91 
			 2006 89 90 
			 2007 89 90

Railways: Noise

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the recent rules changes on train horn noise which mean that train drivers should no longer routinely sound their horns at night and use a lower tone during the day when able to will apply to the operations of London Underground and their contractors.

Gillian Merron: The whistles on London Underground trains are quite different from the horns on over-ground trains, as are the regulations for their use. The use of whistles on London Underground is an operational matter for them.

Shipping: Foreign Workers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what checks are made on  (a) the qualifications and  (b) the on-the-job experience of applicants prior to the award of certificates of equivalent competency to foreign officers on UK-flagged ships.

Stephen Ladyman: In all cases an applicant's certificate of competency is verified prior to the issue of a certificate of equivalent competency. A seafarer is required to spend a prescribed amount of time at sea in order to qualify for a certificate of competency.

Shipping: Foreign Workers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the number of certificates of equivalent competence which will be awarded to foreign officers on UK-flagged ships in the next two years.

Stephen Ladyman: As a demand led activity it is not possible to forecast how many certificates of equivalent competency will be issued in the next two years.

Shipping: Foreign Workers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons the Certificate of Equivalent Competence was introduced for foreign officers on UK-flagged ships.

Stephen Ladyman: Under the 1978 Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention (STCW) (as amended), flag states are required to endorse third party Certificates of Competency (CoC) of officers serving onboard their ships.
	The United Kingdom does this by issuing Certificates of Equivalent Competency (CEC) to those officers whose certificates are issued by administrations that have been inspected and approved by the UK.

Transport: Disabled

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on improving access to the transport system for people with  (a) learning and  (b) physical disabilities in the most recent year for which information is available.

Gillian Merron: Under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, it is a legal requirement that all new buses, coaches and rail vehicles comply with relevant accessibility regulations. Access to transport infrastructure is also covered by the Act.
	The Government have made a commitment that access for disabled people will be a condition of new public investment in transport. It is not possible to disaggregate spending which improves access as all departmental expenditure invested in these transport systems will benefit disabled people.
	The Department has a specific programme, Access for All, to improve access to railway stations for disabled passengers. The Department spent £24.3 million in financial year 2006-07 on the programme and this funding will provide benefits for people with all types of disability.

Travel: Concessions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioners claimed concessionary travel passes in Warrington in each of the last five years; and how many claimed  (a) bus passes and  (b) rail passes.

Gillian Merron: There is no statutory bus travel concession for students. Local authorities can offer such concessions on a discretionary based on their assessment of local need and their overall financial priorities. Details on local discretionary concessions are not held centrally and should be obtained from the relevant local authority.

Travel: Concessions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which operators are in discussions with his Department on local authority re-imbursement of concessionary fares; what the  (a) amount involved and  (b) local authority is in each case; when he expects to issue further guidance on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Bus operators who consider the level of local authority reimbursement for concessionary fares as inadequate may appeal to the Secretary of State. To date, 88 appeals have been lodged for the 2007-08 financial year.
	A list of the schemes appealed against, and the applicants for each, are listed in the table which has been placed in the Libraries of the House. It would not be appropriate to give further details of the appeals whilst they are being determined.
	The appeals will be determined by an independent adjudicator, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, in due course.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Cetaceans

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cetaceans he estimates died in  (a) UK waters,  (b) EU waters and  (c) worldwide because of (i) ship strikes, (ii) bycatch and (iii) pollution in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: For nearly 15 years the Government have funded studies by the Natural History Museum Institute of Zoology (IoZ) on trends in cetacean strandings and causes of death around the UK coastline. Post-mortems are carried out on a selected number of the stranded carcasses each year. The following estimates regarding likely causes of cetacean deaths are drawn from these studies.
	
		
			   Number examined in UK  ( i) Number boat strike  ( ii) Number bycatch 
			 1997 107 0 22 
			 1998 115 0 19 
			 1999 109 0 17 
			 2000 118 0 19 
			 2001 183 0 34 
			 2002 185 0 54 
			 2003 180 1 39 
			 2004 226 2 70 
			 2005 172 0 39 
			 2006 147 4 25 
			 Total 1,542 7 338 
		
	
	Estimates of how many cetaceans die as a direct result of pollution are not available since it is difficult to clearly establish a cause and effect relationship between pollution and the deaths investigated in the above studies.
	Data relating to cetacean deaths in EU waters are available in the following report, copies of which I have arranged to be placed in the Library of the House:
	Anonymous, 2002. Incidental Catches of Small Cetaceans. Report of the Second Meeting of the Subgroup on Fishery and Environment (SGFEN) of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), Brussels 11-14 June 2002. Commission Staff Working Paper. SEC(2002):1134.
	Few other countries outside Europe, the USA and Australasia have published estimates regarding cetacean deaths. However the report, 'Bycatch of Marine Mammals in U.S. and Global Fisheries', published in Conservation Biology, Volume 20, No. 1, February 2006, which relies heavily on extrapolations from data in the USA, provides some estimates. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The authors recognise any efforts to provide estimates are hindered by the fact that very few countries have reporting systems in place to provide accurate data. The UK is one of the few countries that have established such systems.

Departments: Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of leasing buildings and office space for  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: From the DEFRA resource accounts the property holding cost for the Department for the last four years are declared as £19.28 million (2002-03), £21.43 million (2003-04), £22.69 million (2004-05) and £22.14 million (2005-06). The declared holding costs for the executive agencies for the same period were £5.3 million (2002-03), £5.76 million (2003-04), £6.06 million (2004-05) and £6.76 million (2005-06).
	The consolidated accounts figures for 2006-07 are not currently available however departmental records indicate holding costs of £21.84 million, excluding the executive agencies.

Departments: Data Protection

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times his Department was found to have been in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The definition of 'found to have been in breach' can be broad. Depending on their nature, breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 by Government Departments can be dealt with by the Information Commissioner, the Courts or Departments at an informal, local level. The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff funded by the public purse in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency are classified as people without posts.

Ben Bradshaw: There are no staff funded by the public purse in the Veterinary Laboratories Agency who are classified as people without posts.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was raised from the sale of departmental property in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: The gross sales receipts contained within the Departments financial records indicate that sales of property raised £7.35 million (2002-03), £16.03 million (2003-04), £1.32 million (2004-05), £7.2 million (2005-06) and £12.63 million (2006-07) for each of the years in question.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was received by his Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: The Department's accounting records identify the following rental receipts for the five years in question; £25.85 million (2002-03), £44.42 million (2003-04), £49.45 million (2004-05), £54 million (2005-06) and £54.24 million (2006-07). The figures provided include all recoverable accommodation cost recorded as received from Crown bodies, sponsored bodies and third party tenants.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what properties his Department  (a) owned and  (b) rented in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: The attached list sets out the departmental property holdings for the last five years based upon the available ownership information. The tenure type of each property is identified.
	
		
			  Romeo  Name  Town  Leasehold/ freehold 
			 54 Sowerby buffer depot, Victoria Avenue Sowerby FH 
			 61 Rhydymwyn buffer depot, PSA supply depot Rhydymwyn FH 
			 63 Almondbank Bd, Site No 5 Perth FH 
			 67 Polwhele, Workshop Truro FH 
			 68 North Pier, The Harbour Newlyn LH 
			 72 Fish Lab Stores, units 7-12 Lowestoft LH 
			 76 Unit 161/4b, Willowtree industrial estate Alnwick LH 
			 79 Vic Kendal road, Harlescott Harlescott FH 
			 80 Vic The Elms, College road Loughborough LH 
			 81 Vic Barton Hall, Barton Hall Preston FH 
			 82 The Nothe, Barrack road Weymouth, FH 
			 83 Vic Langford House, Langford road Langford LH 
			 84 Badger Research unit, 1 Easter Park Cottage Nympsfield LH 
			 85 Staplake Mount, Starcross Exeter FH 
			 86 Vic Truro, Truro road Truro FH 
			 87 Cvl Woodham Lane, Woodham Lane Addlestone FH 
			 93 Fish Laboratories, Remembrance Avenue Burnham on Crouch FH 
			 94 Fisheries Laboratory, Pakefield road Lowestoft FH 
			 95 North Quay, Lowestoft Docks Lowestoft LH 
			 96 Fish Quay Portakabin, Fish Quay Lowestoft LH 
			 101 Vic Thirsk, West House Thirsk FH 
			 102 Radiobiological Laboratory, The Harbour Whitehaven LH 
			 103 VLA Merrythought, Penrith Penrith LH 
			 108 New Fish Quay, The Quay Whitby LH 
			 113 The Custom House, 3rd floor (rooms 10-13) Amble LH 
			 114 Harbour Commis Office, Warkworth Harbour Nottingham LH 
			 122 Blocks 6 and 7, Government buildings Nottingham LH 
			 124 Government buildings, Cop Lane Shrewsbury LH 
			 125 Whitehall, Monkmoor road Wolverhampton LH 
			 127 Woodthorne, Wergs road Wolverhampton LH 
			 129 Government buildings, Whittington road Worcester FH 
			 131 Burghill road, Government buildings Bristol LH 
			 133 Prince of Wales road Dorchester LH 
			 138 Quantock House, Paul street Quantock FH 
			 141 Pydar House, Pydar street Truro FH 
			 146 Goverment buildings Guildford, 98-122 Epsom road Guildford FH 
			 147 Medwyn House, Mountfield road Lewes LH 
			 153 Block A Reading RSC, Government buildings Reading FH 
			 155 Cromwell House, 15 Andover road Bury St. Edmunds LH 
			 158 100 Southgate street, Government buildings Bury St. Edmunds LH 
			 161 Beeches road, Government buildings Huntingdon LH 
			 166 Vancouver House, County Court road Kings Lynn LH 
			 167 Middlecott House, 22-24 Willington road Boston LH 
			 168 Ceres House, 2 Searby road Lincoln LH 
			 171 122A Thorpe road Norwich LH 
			 172 Wrest park, Mechanical and Farm Waste unit Crewe LH 
			 174 Lion House, Willowburn trading estate Newcastle FH 
			 175 Crosskill House, Mill Lane Beverley FH 
			 177 Edenbridge House, Lowther street Carlisle FH 
			 180 Windsor House, Cornwall road Harrogate LH 
			 182 Government buildings Leeds, Otley road Leeds LH 
			 186 Agricola House, Gilwilly trading estate Penrith LH 
			 189 Foundry House, Carleton road Skipton LH 
			 191 3-8 Whitehall Place WPW, (west block) London LH 
			 193 55 Whitehall London LH 
			 195 Eastbury House, 30/34 Albert Embankment London LH 
			 196 Nobel House, 17 Smith square London LH 
			 197 Ergon House, 17 Smith square London LH 
			 202 Smithfield Market, units D1 and D2 Manchester LH 
			 203 Stanley Market, Edge Lane Liverpool LH 
			 205 26 London street, Bradley Chambers Fleetwood LH 
			 206 Wyre Dock Portakabin Fleetwood LH 
			 215 SVS Poole, Inspectors Office Poole LH 
			 216 SVS Wildlife unit, Aston Down Stroud FH 
			 218 Bristol Fruit Centre, admin block Bristol LH 
			 227 46 Fore street, Newlyn Penzance FH 
			 230 Longacre House, Frome road Trowbridge FH 
			 231 Allen House, 14/19 Allen House Leyton LH 
			 232 Western International Market, unit 1c Market Centre London LH 
			 237 Vic Itchen Abbas, Itchen Abbas Winchester FH 
			 238 Building 333, Timberham House (room 121) Crawley LH 
			 239 Merevale House, 42-46 London road Tunbridge Wells LH 
			 247 Baltic Chambers, 2 Waveney road Lowestoft LH 
			 251 Whitehouse Lane, Huntingdon road Cambridge LH 
			 258 The Portakabin, St. James Market Bradford LH 
			 262 103 Northgate, The Headland Hartlepool LH 
			 264 19/20/28 West Pier Scarborough LH 
			 265 NE WH Fruit Vegetable Market, admin block Gateshead LH 
			 268 Rhydymwyn, building No 2 Rhydymwyn FH 
			 272 Vic Longbenton, Whitley road Newcastle FH 
			 274 Tamar business park, Pennygillam industrial estate Launceston LH 
			 278 Vic Rougham Hill Bury St Edmunds FH 
			 281 Central Science Lab, Sand Hutton York FH 
			 282 Building 104, second floor Sheerness LH 
			 287 7 New Walk, Warehouse Bridlington LH 
			 294 Elvet House, Halgarth street Durham LH 
			 295 Room 11, building 305 Manchester LH 
			 296 The Elms, (Cat 111 unit) Loughborough LH 
			 321 HRI East Malling, Ditton Laboratory West Malling FH 
			 402 3rd floor, Trinity Court, Trinity Court Exeter LH 
			 504 Fish Market, Rock A Nore road Hastings LH 
			 505 Manor Farm Cottages, Luddington Vic Stratford on Avon FH 
			 507 Unit 3, Thornfield business park Northallerton LH 
			 508 Chorley West business park, unit 6 Chorley LH 
			 515 Eastern Docks, freight services building Dover LH 
			 516 Kings Pool, Foss House York LH 
			 517 Lumford Mill, Riverside Walk Bakewell LH 
			 520 Sutton Harbour, Baylys Wharf Plymouth LH 
			 521 Piplers building, Fisheries Office Poole LH 
			 522 Neville House, Liddell street North Shields LH 
			 524 St. Clare House, Princes street Ipswich LH 
			 528 Ponds At Griggs Farm, Grigg Lane Ashford LH 
			 529 Government buildings, Beaumont House Northampton LH 
			 532 Copthall House, Station square Coventry LH 
			 533 Vic Jobs Well Lane Camarthen FH 
			 534 Vic Buarth road Aberystwyth LH 
			 537 Office Suite 3, St. Andrews House Tilbury LH 
			 539 Liberty House, 105 Bell street Reigate LH 
			 543 Llanishen, Government buildings Cardiff LH 
			 544 Cathays park, Crown buildings Cardiff LH 
			 545 Caernarfon, Crown buildings Caernarfon LH 
			 546 Picton Terrace, Crown buildings Camarthen LH 
			 547 Llandrindod, Crown buildings Llandrindod LH 
			 551 Clyst House, Winslade park Exeter LH 
			 554 Continental Ferry Port, portacabin Portsmouth LH 
			 555 Tileworks Office Block, Suite B Withington LH 
			 556 Estuary House, Wharncliffe road Grimsby LH 
			 559 1a Page street London LH 
			 561 King George Dock, Albert Dock Hull LH 
			 562 Crewe business park, Electra Way Crewe LH 
			 563 Room 516, Trelawny House London LH 
			 564 46 Ponton road, Vauxhall London LH 
			 566 Pentlands Science park, Bush estate Penicuick LH 
			 567 City Business Centre, Basin road Chichester LH 
			 568 Unit 12, St Georges business centre Portsmouth LH 
			 569 Saffron House, Tigers road Leicester FH 
			 571 Unit 3, The Barn Centre Aberystwyth LH 
			 573 Unit 1 Epps building, Epps building Ashford LH 
			 574 Sea Life Centre, Lodmoor Country park Weymouth LH 
			 577 Animal Reception, The Residence London LH 
			 578 Part First floor, Richmond House Stevenage Old Town LH 
			 579 Pembroke Ferry Terminal, PORTACABIN Pembroke LH 
			 581 Albion Place, 2nd floor Maidstone LH 
			 582 The Palace building, second floor Truro LH 
			 583 Unit 2 Thornfield business park, Standard Way industrial estate Northallerton LH 
			 584 Riverside Chambers, Castle street Taunton LH 
			 589 Thistledown Farm, Nympsfield road Nympsfield LH 
			 590 Hamilton House, Parkeston Quay Harwich LH 
			 594 The Seaways, Commercial road Penryn LH 
			 595 Millbay Docks, portacabin Millbay LH 
			 598 Watchtree, Great Orton, site no:1 Carlisle FH 
			 600 Cromwell House, Dean Stanley street London LH 
			 609 Jordan House East, Hall Court Telford LH 
			 610 Estuary House, Peninsula park Exeter LH 
			 613 Ash Moor Meeth FH 
			 614 Widdrington Colliery Morpeth LH 
			 622 Barnwood park, unit 1 Gloucester LH 
			 624 9 Millbank London LH 
			 625 Springfield Nursery, unit 10, site 13 Burnham-on- Crouch LH 
			 626 Beacon House, unit G University Court Stafford LH 
			 629 3 Lower House Farm Barns, Long Lane Throckmorton FH 
			 631 Fish Hall, Office 8 and 9 Whitehaven LH 
			 634 Temple Quay House, 2 The Square Bristol LH 
			 635 Ashdown House, 123 Victoria street London LH 
			 638 Flat 1 Admiralty House, Whitehall London LH 
			 639 Quadrant House, Newburn Riverside Newcastle LH 
			 640 Kings House, 33 Kings road Reading LH 
			 642 North Gate House, 21-23 Valpy street Reading LH 
			 644 Paddock road, unit 4d Reading LH 
			 649 Suite 11, Derwentside Duffield LH 
			 654 Crimscott street, unit 2 Rich industrial estate London LH 
			 658 Pilots Watch House, Basin road south Portslade LH 
			 660 Stockbridge Technical Centre Selby LH 
			 662 Heynsham, Sea Link Morecombe LH 
			 663 Eastbrook, Shaftesbury road London LH 
			 665 Hyperion House, first floor unit 2 Newmarket LH 
			 667 4-5 Waterloo Crescent, first floor offices Dover LH 
			 668 Western International Market, unit 9a Market Centre Uxbridge LH 
			 669 Unit B2 The Waterfront, Newburn Riverside Newcastle LH 
			 671 15 West Pier Scarborough LH 
			 673 40/41 The Fish Quay, unit 2 North Shields LH 
			 674 24 West Pier Scarborough LH 
			 677 17 Barkham Mews, Queens road Reading LH 
			 680 24 Regents Riverside, De Montford road Reading LH 
			 681 9 Thames Court, Vastern road Reading LH 
			 682 44 Aveley House, Southampton street Reading LH 
			 687 Vista Suite 32, Vista Business Centre Hounslow LH 
			 688 3rd floor Davidson House, Forbury square Reading LH 
			 689 Scott Self Storage, unit PR2 Carlisle LH 
			 690 Unit 2a , Newchase business centre Scarborough LH 
			 692 Regus, 1100 Parkway Fareham LH 
			 694 Units 1C and 9A , Western International Market London LH

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been  (a) conducted and  (b) commissioned by his Department or its agencies on the safety of alternate weekly household rubbish collections with regards to the health of refuse collection staff.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA funded an independent research study, carried out by Enviros Consulting and Cranfield University, on this subject. This identified no evidence of adverse health impacts resulting from alternate weekly collection of household waste.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to make further quota swaps in 2007 to support the inshore under 10 metre fleet; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Fisheries Administrations will continue to explore all means possible to enhance the 10 metre and under "pool" allocations for key stocks, including by domestic and international swaps and through quota donations under the economic link licence condition. I have recently introduced an additional measure for 2007 to permit licence holders of 10 metre and under vessels to lease in-year quota from producer organisations. This is in recognition of the increased pressures faced by the inshore fleet and the need of some fishermen to access quota above the quantities they may fish each month from the 10 metre and under "pool" quota allocation.

Floods: Yorkshire and Humberside

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Environment Agency spent on flood defences in Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Environment Agency spending on flood defences in Yorkshire, 1997-2007 
			   Capital  Revenue  Additional funding due to autumn 2000 flood event  Total (£) 
			 1997-98 10,450 7,347 — 17,797 
			 1998-99 11,387 7,851 — 19,238 
			 1999-2000 14,365 9,373 — 23,738 
			 2000-01 9,653 14,554 4,371 28,578 
			 2001-02 10,566 19,615 1,323 31,504 
			 2002-03 11,143 30,405 — 41,548 
			 2003-04 11,555 25,775 — 37,330 
			 2004-05 24,353 11,018 — 35,371 
			 2005-06 25,891 14,793 — 40,684 
			 2006-07 17,188 16,560 — 33,748 
			  Source: Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee Expenditure 1997-98 to 2006-07

Foxes: Urban Areas

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of changes in the number of urban foxes over the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the causes of such changes.

Barry Gardiner: My Department does not routinely collate data on the levels of urban fox populations and holds no data on the levels of change over the last five years. There have been a number of fox population estimates, the most generally accepted being that produced by Harris et al. (1995), who estimated that in Britain there are 240,000 adult foxes at the start of the breeding season. Of these, 33,000 adult foxes live in urban areas.

GMOs: Crops

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in which GM test sites within the National Institute of Agricultural Botany's Huntingdon road research grounds in Cambridge trials have been conducted since 1990, including National List Trials; which GM crop was tested in each case; what GM traits were in the crops; which company was granted the release consent; which areas of each plot were used; and what the six figure map reference was for each trial plot.

Ian Pearson: The information my Department has available on trials at the NIAB Cambridge site has been placed in the Library today.

Inland Waterways: UN Conventions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made by the UK in ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Law of the non-navigational uses of international water courses; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	This matter was first raised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on 22 March 2007 in a letter sent to DEFRA, DFID and FCO. In response, we have met both with representatives from WWF and with officials from DEFRA and FCO to discuss the potential benefits and implications of UK accession.
	The matter is not straightforward. We do not believe that any potential domestic benefits justify the resources that would be required, given that the UK has no issues with trans-boundary water management. However, we need to do more work to determine whether or not there is a development case for accession. We need to be clear on real benefits on the ground and ensure that this does not just place a further burden on governments in our partner countries. We will reach a view on this in the autumn and feed this into cross Whitehall consultations with DEFRA and FCO.

Ivory: Trade

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Africa on the international trade in elephant ivory ahead of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard) on 23 May 2007, Official Report, column 1308W.

Landfill: Methane

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's estimate is of the volume of emissions of methane from landfill sites in the UK in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Methane emissions from biodegradable waste in landfill amounted to an estimated 928,000 tonnes in 2005, out of a UK total of 2.35 million tonnes.

Recycling: Standards

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which local authorities exceeded their targets for household waste recycling in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the household recycling rates were for each local authority area in England in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is available from the DEFRA website at: www.defra.gov.uk/news/2006/061215a-table.pdf. I have also arranged for copies to be placed in the House Library.

Water: Infrastructure

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the extent of new water infrastructure required in England; and where such new infrastructure will be located.

Ian Pearson: Since 1 April 2007, all water companies have a statutory requirement to produce Water Resource Management Plans which look ahead 25 years and include projections of current and future demands for water. The next set of plans will show how water companies propose to meet demand for water, including the development of any new water supply resources that are needed beyond those identified in their voluntarily produced 2004 plans.
	In their 2004 plans, which informed the 2005-10 review of prices, several water companies included schemes to build new reservoirs or expand existing ones. Details are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Company  Scheme 
			  New reservoirs   
			 2019 Southern, Mid Kent, Folkestone and Dover Broad Oak 
			 2015 South East Water Clay Hill 
			 2020 Portsmouth Havant Thicket 
			 2020 Thames Abingdon 
			 2022 Severn Trent Lower Severn 
			
			  Extended reservoirs   
			 2015 Southern, Mid Kent Raise Bewl 
			 2008 South East Water Bray Enlargement 
			 2014 Essex and Suffolk Water Abberton 
		
	
	Several water companies also had plans for desalination plants in their 2004 plans. Thames Water proposes to build a major desalination plant in the Thames estuary. This is currently before ministers for decision following an appeal by the company against the refusal of planning permission.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Lighting

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the House will be taking part in Lights out London on 21 June; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: I understand that both Houses will be taking part in lights out London on 21 June. Officials are investigating what is possible given that people will still be using the buildings during the evening. The event will be publicised and Members and others reminded of the need to switch off lights and non-essential electrical appliances when they are not in use.

Members: Transport

Andrew Robathan: To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many travel card reminder letters have been sent to hon. Members by the Department of Finance and Administration in the last 12 months.

Nick Harvey: Members are asked to complete, sign and return a pre-printed statement for each month that their travel card is used to purchase rail, air or other travel tickets, for use in connection with their parliamentary duties. A reminder is sent three weeks after the statement is first issued and a further reminder two weeks later.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departments: Opinion Leader Research

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) value and  (b) purpose was of each payment made by her Department to Opinion Leader Research since 1997.

Hilary Armstrong: It is not possible to readily identify from the Department's accounting system, the value and purpose of each payment, made to Opinion Leader Research since 1997, therefore, this information is only available at disproportionate cost.

National School of Government: Freedom of Information

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the National School of Government is deemed to be a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The National School of Government became a non-Ministerial Department on 1 January 2007 and as such is deemed to be a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: West Bromwich

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with  (a) Sandwell metropolitan borough council,  (b) the Public Gallery Ltd.,  (c) the National Lottery,  (d) the Arts Council England and  (e) regional development agency Advantage West Midlands on the Public Arts Centre in West Bromwich East constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I have not had any discussions about the public with these organisations. I understand that building work on the project stopped in March 2006 when the Public Building Ltd. went into administration. Sandwell borough council, Arts Council England, Advantage West Midlands and Government office for the west midlands have been working together to secure a way forward. Building work has now re-started and is due to be complete before the end of this year, with a public opening in 2008.

Casinos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what further scrutiny of the recommendations of the Casino Advisory Panel report has been carried out by officials of her Department since the report by the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee on that report and the subsequent order.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State considered carefully the points made by the Merits Committee in its report, and on 21 March wrote to Lord Filkin to set out her views. Copies of that letter were placed in the Libraries of both Houses at the time.

Casinos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has the power under the relevant legislation to introduce two orders separating out the regional casino from the other large and small casinos.

Richard Caborn: Section 175(4) of the Gambling Act 2005 requires the Secretary of State by order to make provision for determining the geographical distribution of casino premises licences within the limits specified in subsections (1) to (3) of that section. The Secretary of State is not required to do so by means of a single order.

Casinos: Licensing

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the meetings which have taken place between  (a) her and  (b) officials from her Department and representatives of the 17 local authorities set out in the draft Gambling (Geographical Distribution of Casino Premises Licences) Order 2007; and what the purpose was of each meeting.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and her officials meet regularly with representatives of many local authorities across a range of issues. The cost of identifying all such meetings would be disproportionate.
	However, on 25 April, following a request from LACORS, a senior official attended a meeting of the Casino Officers Network, a group organised by the 17 local authorities set out in the Draft Gambling (Geographical Distribution of Casino Premises Licences) Order 2007. The meeting was convened for a variety of purposes, including discussion of the Government's consultation on the regulations and code of practice to be made under schedule 9 of the Gambling Act 2005.

Casinos: Licensing

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to bring the Gambling (Geographical Distribution of Casino Premises Licences) Order 2007 back to Parliament.

Richard Caborn: Ministers are currently considering the options in the light of the defeat of the Order in the House of Lords on 28 March, and there is no set timetable for an announcement.

Circuses: Licensing

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the progress of her Department's review of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on travelling circuses; and how many responses the Department has received from  (a) circuses and  (b) local authorities to the survey it is conducting to inform that review.

Shaun Woodward: Following consultation with representatives of the sector, we issued a survey in March asking circuses about their experience of the first year of the new licensing regime. This has now been completed by 22 circus operators and represents a significant proportion of touring tented circuses. We are currently in the process of obtaining responses to a similar survey of licensing authorities in order to assess the extent of regulatory issues relating to circuses. We aim to complete the analysis of these surveys during the summer.

Departments: Official Cars

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's policy is on the vehicle excise duty bands of Ministerial cars; and into which bands cars presently allocated to Ministers fall.

David Lammy: holding answer 11 June 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State for Transport (Dr. Ladyman) on 11 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 727-28W.

Hotels: Closures

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of  (a) hotels,  (b) guest houses and  (c) bed and breakfasts which have closed since 1997, broken down by region; how many representations she has received from (i) hoteliers, (ii) guest house owners and (iii) bed and breakfast owners since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Insolvency Service maintains records of bankruptcies and liquidations, analysed by type of business. No specific records of hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts are maintained, although figures for hotel and catering businesses are held. Regional analyses are not maintained.
	The total numbers of liquidations and bankruptcies for hotel and catering businesses in England, Wales and Scotland, for each year since 1998, are as follows:
	
		
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  First three quarters of 2006 
			 Liquidations in England and Wales 626 562 530 538 740 566 511 584 0 507 
			 Bankruptcies in England and Wales 1,309 1,376 1,263 1,187 1,041 1,038 951 1,125 0 810 
			 Liquidations in Scotland 26 22 25 23 56 37 39 39 32 0 
			 Total 1,961 1,960 1,818 1,748 1,837 1,641 1,501 1,748 32 1,317 
		
	
	DCMS has received 24 representations from hoteliers, guest house and bed and breakfast proprietors since 2004, when the Department started to record all correspondence electronically. VisitBritain maintains regular contact with such businesses, where the latter participate in the National Quality Assessment Schemes.

Listed Buildings: Smoking

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on the impact of no smoking signs on listed properties; and what action she has taken on the issue.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received one representation on this, from the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples). She has responded that there is sufficient flexibility in the legislation to allow for signs to be placed in a way that is sympathetic to the character of listed buildings.

Musicians: Finance

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding her Department provided for music groups in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Government funding for music groups is primarily channelled through Arts Council England (ACE). In the last five years £100,682 has been given to projects in the London borough of Bexley through ACE's Grants for the Arts.
	In addition to this, Youth Music have provided funding totalling £101,677 to projects in Bexley in the last five years.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the new logo by Wolff Olins for the Olympics 2012 cost; which other design consultants were considered for the design of the logo; and what estimate she has made of the additional costs required to rebrand all current Olympics 2012 publicity material, including each relevant website.

Tessa Jowell: The design cost of the new London 2012 brand is a matter for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The cost, which is in the public domain, is in the region of £400,000. This sum comes from LOCOG's budget of £2 billion, which is funded from private sources.
	The selection of companies is also a matter for LOCOG. I understand a brief was drawn up and a long list of companies with expertise in this field from the UK and abroad was assembled. LOCOG met with these companies and drew up a short list, all of whom had the opportunity to put their case for the design and development of the new brand. Wolff Olins was appointed as the preferred company to develop the thinking behind the brand and the official emblem.
	LOCOG does not have a central estimate of the additional cost required to rebrand all London 2012 publicity material.

Olympic Games: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent on the London 2012 Olympic logo.

Tessa Jowell: This is a matter for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The design cost of the new London 2012 brand, which is in the public domain, is in the region of £400,000. This sum comes from LOCOG's budget of £2 billion, which is funded from private sources.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1178W, on the Olympic Games: Greater London, what the name was of the separate cost review set up to take forward the work of the Steering Group and chaired by the Minister of Sport.

Tessa Jowell: The cost review set up to take forward the work of the Olympic Cost Review Steering Group did not have an official name, but was simply referred to as 'the cost review'.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the impact on overall costs for the Olympics of the decision on a final budget being taken in March 2007.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 11 June 2007
	 I have nothing further to add to my statement of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 450.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings the Budget and Revenues Sub-Group set up to consider the cost of the 2012 Olympics held after July 2004.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 11 June 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) on 12 March 2007,  Official Report, column 62W which states that the Budgets and Revenue Sub-Group met between February 2004 and July 2004. There were no further meetings of this group after July 2004.

Public Libraries: Closures

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of municipal libraries that have closed in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The number of public library closures is not centrally recorded. However, the net change in library service points can be calculated using the Public Library Statistics published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). These show that for 2005-06 (the latest year for which figures are available) the total number of public library service points open for 10 hours or more per week, and including mobile libraries, was 3,500. The comparable figure for 2004-05 was 3,474. This reveals an increase of 26 in the total number of service points. These net figures take into account openings of new libraries as well as closures.

Tourism

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has conducted any economic research within the last six months into the size of the UK tourism industry; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: No new economic research has been conducted in the past six months on the size of the UK tourism industry. However, annual estimates are produced based on the "UK Tourism Satellite Account—First Steps".
	The latest report estimated that in 2005 the UK tourism industry generated £85 billion for the UK economy. This total is made up of the following components:
	
		
			   £ billion 
			 Spending by domestic residents on 'tourism day visits' 44.3 
			 Spending by domestic residents on overnight domestic trips 22.7 
			 Spending by inbound visitors to the UK 14.2 
			 Fares paid to UK carriers by overseas residents 2.8 
			 Imputed rent from second home ownership 0.9

Tourism: Insolvency

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of tourism businesses that have declared themselves bankrupt since 1997, broken down by region; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The Insolvency Service maintains records of bankruptcies and liquidations, analysed by type of business. No specific records of tourism businesses are maintained, although figures for hotel and catering businesses are held. Regional analyses are not maintained.
	The total numbers of liquidations and bankruptcies for hotel and catering businesses in England, Wales and Scotland, for each year since 1998, are as follows:
	
		
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  First three quarters of 2006 
			 Liquidations in England and Wales 626 562 530 538 740 566 511 584 0 507 
			 Bankruptcies in England and Wales 1,309 1,376 1,263 1,187 1,041 1,038 951 1,125 0 810 
			 Liquidations in Scotland 26 22 25 23 56 37 39 39 32 0 
			 Total 1,961 1,960 1,818 1,748 1,837 1,641 1,501 1,748 32 1,317

Tourists: EC Countries

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of how many tourists visited the UK from EU member states in 2006, broken down by country of origin.

Shaun Woodward: The table shows the number of visits to the UK from the EU member states for 2006.
	
		
			  Overseas residents visits to the UK 2006( 1) 
			   Thousand 
			 Austria 298 
			 Belgium 995 
			 Czech Republic 311 
			 Cyprus EU 118 
			 Denmark 540 
			 Estonia 41 
			 Finland 188 
			 France 3,714 
			 Germany 3,398 
			 Greece 185 
			 Hungary 272 
			 Irish Republic 2,893 
			 Italy 1,436 
			 Latvia 82 
			 Lithuania 140 
			 Luxembourg 66 
			 Malta 51 
			 Netherlands 1,807 
			 Poland 1,275 
			 Portugal 245 
			 Spain 2,008 
			 Slovakia 239 
			 Slovenia 68 
			 Sweden 725 
			 EU25 21,095 
			 (1) Provisional 2006 figures  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS)

NORTHERN IRELAND

Electoral Register

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many electors were registered to vote in Northern Ireland  (a) in the year prior to the introduction of individual registration and  (b) in each year since its introduction.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the breakdown, by constituency, of those on the electoral register for each year from 2001 (following the last annual canvass prior to individual registration) to 2007. It includes the revised registration figures published in advance of the 2007 Assembly election. The registers published on 1 December 2001 and 1 December 2005 include those who did not register afresh but were 'carried forward' from the previous year's register. The legislation governing electoral registration in Northern Ireland no longer permits this practice.
	
		
			  Constituency  Assembly  e lection 2007  ( 7 March 2007 )  Register  1 December 2006  Register  1 December 2005  Register  1 December 2004  Register  2 February 2004( 1)  Register  1 December 2002  Register  1 December 2001 
			 Belfast East 50,053 48,570 53,076 48,503 50,005 50,929 58,049 
			 Belfast North 49,629 47,369 52,742 46,008 49,114 49,937 59,653 
			 Belfast South 49,177 47,190 52,523 46,718 49,403 49,349 59,036 
			 Belfast West 51,057 45,923 54,268 46,054 47,183 48,153 58,901 
			 East Antrim 57,025 55,658 58,921 53,307 54,727 54,569 61,092 
			 East Londonderry 56,491 55,056 59,239 54,759 55,260 55,466 60,921 
			 Fermanagh and S. Tyrone 66,410 64,039 67,882 61,774 62,993 63,010 67,846 
			 Foyle 65,430 62,521 68,937 61,386 62,404 62,801 71,252 
			 Lagan Valley 70,654 68,430 72,135 65,837 65,642 65,939 73,027 
			 Mid Ulster 61,783 59,358 63,242 58,346 58,950 58,810 62,490 
			 Newry and Armagh 71,387 68,812 73,226 66,593 67,433 66,802 73,600 
			 North Antrim 73,332 70,868 75,487 70,087 69,942 69,728 75,635 
			 North Down 57,947 56,420 60,266 54,734 56,137 56,606 63,649 
			 South Antrim 66,046 63,983 67,662 60,315 62,983 62,349 70,926 
			 South Down 72,340 69,951 74,367 68,022 68,515 68,317 74,935 
			 Strangford 67,158 65,504 69,712 63,882 64,796 65,558 72,751 
			 Upper Bann 71,244 69,588 73,058 67,033 67,713 67,595 73,594 
			 West Tyrone 58,802 55,876 60,309 54,243 55,960 56,507 61,147 
			 Total 1,115,965 1,075,116 1,157,052 1,047,601 1,069,160 1,072,425 1,198,504 
			 (1) Postponed from 1 December 2003 because of rescheduled Assembly election.

Prosecutions: Expenditure

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average cost was of a prosecution within the former system of police prosecutions by Central Process Offices in each of the three years prior to the establishment of the Public Prosecution Service.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to calculate the total average cost of a prosecution from start to finish—various agencies are involved at different stages of the process and no central figures are compiled. The PSNI do hold information on the average cost to the Central Process Offices of preparing a file for prosecution, although this represents only one part of the total prosecution costs. The Public Prosecution Service was established in 2005; therefore the following figures relate to the preceding three years, 2002-04:
	2002: £171.40 per case;
	2003: £150.75 per case;
	2004: £139.09 per case.
	Average cost per case over three years: £153.74 per case.
	Solicitor-General

Terry Lloyd

Don Foster: To ask the Solicitor-General 
	(1)  what  (a) correspondence and  (b) discussions the Law Officers' Departments have had in response to the finding of the coroner in October 2006 that ITN correspondent Terry Lloyd was killed unlawfully; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps the Law Officers' Departments have taken to seek prosecutions of individuals in response to the finding of the coroner in October 2006 that ITN correspondent Terry Lloyd was killed unlawfully; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: At the conclusion of the inquest concerning the inquest into Terry Lloyd's death, where a verdict that Mr. Lloyd was unlawfully killed was recorded, the coroner, Mr. Andrew Walker wrote to the Attorney-General to ask him to consider any steps that might be taken to bring those responsible for the death of Mr. Lloyd before a court.
	As it is alleged that Mr. Lloyd was killed in Iraq by American military personnel the relevant offence capable of being tried in a UK court is section 1 of the Geneva Conventions Act 1957. The Attorney-General has to consent to any prosecution which may be brought. Any decision to prosecute is made by the Crown Prosecution Service using the same code for Crown prosecutors test they use in every case.
	Accordingly the Attorney-General sent the coroner's letter and enclosures to the CPS for them to consider. The CPS has the case under active review and is briefing the Law Officers regularly. They have decided that they need further information before they can make a decision and are taking steps to obtain that information.

SCOTLAND

Departments: Information Officers

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time press officers are employed in his Department.

David Cairns: Two.

Departments: Legal Fees

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on legal fees in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: Over the last five years, the legal fees paid by the Scotland Office have arisen solely in the financial year 2006-07, when £4,404 was spent.

Departments: Pay

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in the last financial year; and how many civil servants received such bonuses.

David Cairns: Staff in the Scotland Office are seconded from the Scottish Executive (SE) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) who each have bonus schemes, part of which relate to annual performance appraisal. The Scotland Office does not hold information on bonus payments under the annual performance appraisal systems. Under the special bonus scheme of the SE and the reward and recognition scheme of the MoJ, the Office may also directly authorise bonus payments for special effort, achievement and commitment; the following shows the number and cost of such non-pensionable bonuses:
	Financial year: 2006-07
	Total number of bonuses: 17
	Total cost of bonuses: £4,750

Elections

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on the use of electronic counting vote technology and equipment for the May 2007 elections to the Scottish Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not yet have final figures on the costs of electronic counting as these form part of the accounts which have yet to be submitted by each returning officer. Returning officers have 12 months in which to submit their accounts.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of supply of military helicopters in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: In common with other capabilities, we continue to keep our helicopter requirements under review to ensure that we have sufficient helicopter support to meet current and anticipated tasks.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum period of time was to repatriate members of the armed forces killed on active service in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq in each of the last 36 months.

Des Browne: holding answer 11 June 2007
	All casualties suffered by UK forces are a matter of profound sadness and regret. MOD guidance is that repatriations should be carried out within seven to 10 days of the next of kin being informed and every effort is made to ensure that these guidelines are met. We do not hold data on the actual time taken for repatriation.

Armed Forces: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the clinics which treat post-traumatic stress disorder for members of HM armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently has 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) across the UK to provide community-based mental healthcare. These are as follows:
	1. Kinloss (Inverness)
	2. Leuchars (Edinburgh)
	3. Faslane (Glasgow)
	4. Aldershot (Hampshire)
	5. Brize Norton (Oxfordshire)
	6. Catterick (North Yorkshire)
	7. Colchester (Essex)
	8. Cranwell (Lincolnshire)
	9. Marham (Norfolk)
	10. Plymouth (Devon)
	11. Portsmouth (Hampshire)
	12. Tidworth (Wiltshire)
	13. Donnington (West Midlands)
	14. Woolwich (London)
	15. Lisburn (Northern Ireland)
	Similar satellite facilities are available to service personnel serving overseas in Germany and Cyprus.
	The care provided in these facilities is multidisciplinary in nature. Teams comprise consultant psychiatrists, community mental health nurses, psychologists and specialist social workers; the individual's medical condition dictates which disciplines are involved in their care. The approach to assessment and treatment is delivered in accordance with national guidance (issued through NICE) and is delivered in conjunction with the patient's general practitioner and where appropriate, key individuals in the patient's chain of command.
	If a service person's condition requires a period of in-patient assessment and/or treatment, patients can be admitted to an in-patient facility under the MOD's contract with the Priory Healthcare Group. This contract provides specialist assessment and treatment in a facility proximate to their home unit or home. During a period of in-patient care, the Defence Mental Health Services continually liaise with the patient and their medical team through a nominated service liaison officer (SLO) who is a senior mental health nurse.
	The primary aim of assessment and treatment, be it community or hospital based is correct diagnosis (as early as possibly), treatment and stabilisation, rehabilitation and return to work. If the patient's condition and prognosis dictates that he/she can no longer service in the armed forces, the focus is on a seamless transfer of care and support from the military medical and welfare services to the NHS and other relevant bodies.
	The MOD also provides a care programme for recently demobilised reserve personnel called the Reserves Mental Health programme (RMHP). Under the RMHP, we liaise with the individual's GP and offer a mental health assessment at the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre in Chilwell. If diagnosed to have a combat-related mental health condition, we then offer out-patient treatment via one of the MOD's 15 Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs). If more acute cases present, the DMS will assist access to NHS in-patient treatment.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the  (a) affordability and  (b) deliverability within existing allocated resources of the Army Recruiting and Training Division draft Management Plan 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Army Recruiting and Training Division (ARTD) draft Management Plan 2007 details the training programme required to meet the individual training needs of the army over the plan period. The Plan takes account of the ARTD's capacity to deliver training. The army has a standard in-year management process whereby plans and resources are kept in balance.

Army Board: Domestic Services

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what criteria are used to determine whether a non-ministerial member of the Army Board qualifies for a full-time  (a) cleaner and  (b) gardener at public expense; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what criteria are used to determine the number of members of staff a non-ministerial member of the Army Board requires in their household.

Derek Twigg: Guidance on the management of official service residences is set out in Joint Service Publication 448. I have placed it in the Library of the House along with a copy of the Cazalet report to which it refers.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the  (a) strategy and  (b) tactics of the Mahdi Army; and for how many attacks on UK service personnel he estimates it to have been responsible.

Des Browne: holding answer 4 June 2007
	The Jaysh al-Mahdi also referred to as the Mahdi Army, which acts as the militia wing of the Office of the Martyr Sadr is opposed to the presence of Multi National Forces in Iraq and wish to see their withdrawal. Jaysh al-Mahdi and its factions have been responsible for many attacks against coalition forces including UK troops.
	We routinely assesses the capabilities and objectives of insurgent and militia groups in Iraq including the Jaysh al-Mahdi. I am withholding further details as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.

Military Aircraft: Procurement

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Britten Norman Defender 4S A2 Mk 1 aircraft are being operated by the army in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Nuclear Submarines

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected cost is of developing a new submarine reactor to replace the PWR2.

Des Browne: Decisions on whether or not to develop a replacement for PWR2 have not yet been taken. Initial projected costs for the procurement of the nuclear propulsion system were factored into the estimated procurement costs of the new ballistic missile submarines, set out at paragraph 5-11 of the White Paper (Cm 6994) on the Future of the UK's Nuclear Deterrent, published on 4 December. Cost estimates will be refined as work on the concept and assessment phases is taken forward with industry, but at this early stage of the procurement process, we are not in a position to break these estimates down.

Veterans: Mental Health

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie) of 12 December 2006,  Official Report, column 940W, on veterans: mental health, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Health and Social Care Advisory Service's recommendations of 2005 on mental health services for veterans; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what progress has been made with his Department's work to ensure that there is a coherent response to veterans' mental health issues; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Government are committed to good mental health and wellbeing for armed forces personnel, both in service and after they leave. For veterans, healthcare is primarily the responsibility of the NHS.
	Following recommendations on mental health services for veterans made in 2005 by the independent Health and Social Care Advisory Service, officials from the Ministry of Defence, the UK Health departments and Combat Stress have been working together to develop and implement a new community-based model for mental health services for veterans; this is designed to provide health professionals with access to expert understanding of veterans' mental health problems and appropriate treatment options. Based on NHS practice and procedures, the new service would deliver culturally sensitive, evidence-based interventions through a network of public, private and charitable providers; an aim of the new model would be to integrate Combat Stress into NHS commissioning arrangements. It is planned that, beginning in the summer, the model will be piloted at sites across the UK. The pilots are likely to last two years and, if successful, will be rolled out nationally. We have established separately an arrangement for the assessment and treatment of mental health problems that may have affected Reservists as a result of deployment on operations since 2003.
	I will place a copy of the recommendations made by the Health and Social Care Advisory Service's in their 2005 report on mental health services for veterans in the Library of the House.

Written Questions

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer question 108882, on submarine reactors, tabled by the hon. Member for North Devon on 7 December 2006.

Des Browne: I replied to the hon. Member today.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Crime: Internet

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has instructed any police force to close any website or webpage of any organisation demonstrably linked with criminal activity; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The issue of whether a website should be shut down is an operational matter for the police to discuss with the internet industry.
	However, UK ISPs work effectively with law enforcement and take a robust approach to ensuring their services are not used for illegal activity or activity that falls just short of illegality. The Government have also worked closely with law enforcement agencies to build greater clarity on when criminal offences have been committed on the internet.
	In addition, the Government are working with international colleagues in a number of fora to develop an approach which allows us all to deal effectively with illegal activity, across very different legal systems, while protecting free speech.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) he and  (b) (i) other ministers and (ii) officials from his Department attended a (A) steering group, (B) working group and (C) other regular series of meetings on HM Treasury's Comprehensive Spending Review policy review into counter-terrorism and security.

Tony McNulty: Matters relating to the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) 2007 are routinely discussed at meetings between Home Office Ministers and officials and HM Treasury Ministers and officials.

Driving Under Influence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) women,  (b) men,  (c) women under 30 years old and  (d) men under 30 years old committed drink driving offences in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table A: Findings of guilt at all courts for driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1)  females by age of offender, England and Wales, 1995 to 2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   Total findings of guilt at all courts 
			   All ages  Aged under 30 
			 1995 6,793 2,636 
			 1996 7,750 2,950 
			 1997 8,425 3,147 
			 1998 8,509 3,014 
			 1999 8,409 2,935 
			 2000 8,457 2,982 
			 2001 8,402 2,949 
			 2002 9,512 3,286 
			 2003 10,112 3,513 
			 2004 10,765 3,863 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 4 (1) & (2), 5 (a) & (b), 6 (4), 7 (6) and s.7A as added by the Police Reform Act 2002 s. 56.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts' case management system currently being implemented by the Ministry of Justice reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1)  males by age of offender, England and Wales, 1995 to 2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   Total findings of guilt at all courts 
			   All ages  Aged under 30 
			 1995 85,693 37,226 
			 1996 87,951 38,979 
			 1997 91,777 39,574 
			 1998 84,604 36,451 
			 1999 80,954 35,361 
			 2000 77,372 34,849 
			 2001 76,346 35,280 
			 2002 80,971 37,094 
			 2003 83,588 38,380 
			 2004 85,473 38,700 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 4 (1) & (2), 5 (a) & (b), 6 (4), 7 (6) and s.7A as added by the Police Reform Act 2002 s. 56  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts' case management system currently being implemented by the Ministry of Justice reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C:  N umber of written warnings issued for the offence of driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1)  England and Wales, 1995 to 2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   Written warnings( 2) 
			 1995 337 
			 1996 462 
			 1997 385 
			 1998 317 
			 1999 167 
			 2000 91 
			 2001 91 
			 2002 19 
			 2003 31 
			 2004 143 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 4 (1) & (2), 5 (a) & (b), 6 (4), 7 (6) and s.7A as added by the Police Reform Act 2002 s. 56. (2) Data held centrally on written warnings (including cautions) does not identify the sex of the offender.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

K v Manchester City Council

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice is being issued as a response to the case K  v . Manchester city council [EWHC 3164].

Parmjit Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
	The assessment of children who may fall to be considered as children in need is already dealt with in full in the statutory Government guidance 'Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families'. All local authorities with children's services responsibilities are required to comply with the requirements of this guidance unless local circumstances indicate exceptional reasons that justify a variation. I understand that this case is still being considered by the courts and therefore cannot make a more specific reply at this time.

Serious and Organised Crime Agency

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests the Serious and Organised Crime Agency has made since its creation in  (a) Sussex and  (b) all other UK operational regions, broken down by type of offence.

Vernon Coaker: SOCA is a UK-wide organisation and not a territorial police force. Arrests made in relation to specific tasked operations may occur in any part of the country. SOCA does not record the county in which an arrest is made.
	SOCA records arrests against principal threat sectors. In 2006-07 there were 749 arrests as the result of SOCA casework in the UK. The breakdown by threat area was as follows:
	
		
			   Number of arrests 
			 Class A drugs trafficking 601 
			 Organised Immigration Crime 128 
			 Fraud 2 
			 Other 18

Sexual Offences: Young People

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to review gaps in evidence and methods of collecting evidence to support prosecution with particular reference to cases where teenagers have been sexually assaulted or raped.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 There are a number of new initiatives under way to build better serious sexual offence cases, including those involving teenage victims.
	All police forces are being asked to develop action plans to implement the recommendations of 'Without Consent', the 2007 joint inspection into the investigation and prosecution of rape by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. This includes forces working with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to implement improvements to the collection and presentation of evidence, review processes and monitor case outcomes.
	This builds on the national training programme which has been developed for specialist officers working on sexual offence cases. We are also improving facilities for the collection of evidence through the development of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), most of which see teenage clients. There are now 16 SARCs with a further 14 in development.
	In order to support improvements to the investigation and prosecution of serious sexual offences, we have also introduced new arrangements for monitoring performance and providing practical support to forces and CPS areas.

Sexual Offences: Young People

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on services for children and young people within sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many SARCs provide  (a) services for children and young people and  (b) child-centred therapeutic counselling and support.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 June 2007
	As sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) are primarily funded locally, we do not collect information centrally on the amount each centre spends on services for children.
	Each of the 16 SARCs currently operating provide services for people below the age of 18 with lower age limits ranging from 0 to 16. Paediatric cases are seen at nine of these centres, while a further two centres have close links with separate but dedicated child sexual abuse services.
	SARCs should be contacted direct for details of child-centred therapeutic counselling and support services. Contact information can be found on the Home Office website.

Special Advisers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the  (a) salaries of,  (b) number of support staff available to and  (c) office space provided to his special advisers in the next 12 months.

John Reid: I have no plans to alter the accommodation or support structure for special advisers in the Home Office. The salaries of special advisers are a matter for the Special Advisers' Remuneration Committee. Special advisers' pay ranges and the number of special advisers in each pay band by Department are published in an annual statement to Parliament.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 110-11W, on speed limits: cameras, if he will break down the numbers of full-time equivalent traffic police officers by police force.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 11 June 2007
	Available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of full-time equivalent officers whose main function is traffic 
			  Police force  2005-06 
			 Avon and Somerset 215 
			 Bedfordshire 81 
			 Cambridgeshire 99 
			 Cheshire 85 
			 Cleveland 61 
			 Cumbria 111 
			 Derbyshire 119 
			 Devon and Cornwall 215 
			 Dorset 81 
			 Durham 105 
			 Dyfed Powys 143 
			 Essex 243 
			 Gloucestershire 73 
			 Greater Manchester 342 
			 Gwent 102 
			 Hampshire 240 
			 Hertfordshire 149 
			 Humberside 181 
			 Kent 116 
			 Lancashire 197 
			 Leicestershire 77 
			 Lincolnshire 102 
			 London, City of 24 
			 Merseyside 138 
			 Metropolitan Police 603 
			 Norfolk 112 
			 Northamptonshire 63 
			 Northumbria 167 
			 North Wales 81 
			 North Yorkshire 97 
			 Nottinghamshire 134 
			 South Wales 243 
			 South Yorkshire 141 
			 Staffordshire 28 
			 Suffolk 80 
			 Surrey 99 
			 Sussex 160 
			 Thames Valley 236 
			 Warwickshire 97 
			 West Mercia 116 
			 West Midlands 401 
			 West Yorkshire 343 
			 Wiltshire 13 
			 Total 6,511 
			 Notes:  1. Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their 'primary' role or function. The traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motorcycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. The does not include officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination and radar duties.  2. This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between the total and the sum of the constituent items.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies filed for bankruptcy in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A compulsory liquidation is made on the petition of the creditor when the Court is satisfied that there is no prospect of the debt being paid. The following table shows the number of compulsory liquidations made at Hastings and Eastbourne county courts and Brighton Official Receiver's (OR) office as a whole, since 1997. Eastbourne and Hastings are the only two county courts within East Sussex which deal with insolvency matters, but they come under the Brighton OR's office. The county court in Brighton itself falls within the neighbouring county of West Sussex.
	The insolvency jurisdictions of OR's offices and of county courts are not directly comparable with standard geographies such as counties or parliamentary constituencies. For these reasons, figures shown in the table will not be an exact measure of compulsory liquidations in East Sussex.
	
		
			  Number of compulsory liquidations made at Eastbourne and Hastings county courts and Brighton OR's Office, 1997  to  2006 
			   Eastbourne county court  Hastings county court  Total for Eastbourne and Hastings county courts  Brighton OR's  o ffice( 1) 
			 1997 10 8 18 111 
			 1998 11 9 20 103 
			 1999 19 11 30 112 
			 2000 12 14 26 107 
			 2001 13 11 24 114 
			 2002 14 8 22 176 
			 2003 14 9 23 118 
			 2004 15 10 25 139 
			 2005 17 11 28 132 
			 2006 19 12 31 147 
			 (1 )Brighton's OR's office covers the following county courts: Bognor Regis, Brighton, Chichester, Eastbourne, Hastings, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Lewes and Worthing.

Cemeteries: Safety Measures

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions the Health and Safety Executive has had on the quality standards of inspectors of gravestones and memorials.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	The HSE has had no formal discussions on the issue of quality standards of inspectors of gravestones and memorials. However, under the management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 it is a requirement that people are competent to discharge their health and safety responsibilities.

Departments: Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which  (a) advertising agencies and  (b) other organisations supplied consultancy services for advertising campaigns for (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these services was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No consultancy services for advertising campaigns bought through the Central Office of Information were purchased by DTI during these years. Information regarding other such spending by DTI and its Executive agencies is not held centrally and to provide this information would be at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on advertising by  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental agencies in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following was spent on advertising by DTI and its agencies via the Central Office of Information in each of the last five full financial years:
	
		
			   £ 
			  2002-03  
			 UK Online for Business 2002-03 3,393,124 
			 Export Licence Announcements 2002-03 10,131 
			 Import Licence Announcements 2002-03 88,685 
			 DTI Miscellaneous 2002-03 21,000 
			 UK Online for Business—Supplement 2002-03 153,384 
			 SBS Business Link 5,395,254 
			 Fireworks Campaign 2002-03—media only 181,966 
			 National Minimum Wage 2002-03 299,443 
			 SBS Recruitment Advertising 14,537 
			 Parental Rights 2002-03 718,718 
			 DTI Consumer Gateway 2002-03 74,887 
			 Quality Mark 2002-03 779,817 
			 Ex-Miners Compensation 2002-03 402,419 
			 Total 11,533,365 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Parental Rights 2003-04 1,106,186 
			 Import Licence Announcements 2003-04 130,470 
			 Ex Miner Compensation 2003-04 384,875 
			 SBS Public Notice Advertising 2003-04 84,778 
			 SBS Business Link 2003-04 882,188 
			 DTI National Minimum Wage 2003-04 306,360 
			 Quality Mark Scheme 2003-04 189,973 
			 DTI EERA 13 2003-04 422,177 
			 DTI UK Online for Business 2003-04 163,965 
			 DTI Fireworks SMS Internet 2003-04 18,603 
			 DTI UK Online for Business Internet 2003-04 230,914 
			 DTI Consumer Gateway Internet 2003-04 37,686 
			 UK Trade and Investment 2003-04 194,784 
			 SBS Keyword 2003-04 20,799 
			 ACAS Awareness 2003-04 1,070,601 
			 Total 5,244,359 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Consumer Direct 2004-05 706,488 
			 SBS Business Link 2004-05 552,712 
			 Import Licence Announcements 2004-05 74,300 
			 DTI Classified Recruitment Advertising 2004-05 41,007 
			 New Minimum Wage 2004-05 315,754 
			 Renewable Energy 2004-05 15,542 
			 Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion 2004-05 30,494 
			 Firework Safety 04/05—(media only) 188,480 
			 DTI—Dispute Resolution (media only) 81,768 
			 SBS Press Media Buying Costs 2004-05 3,255 
			 Total 2,009,800 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Consumer Direct 2005-06 1,447,850 
			 DTI Classified/Recruitment Advertising 2005-06 31,099 
			 SBS Business Link 2005-06 1,502,301 
			 New National Minimum Wage 2005-06 369,603 
			 Directgov—DTI Employee Franchise 2005-06 127,690 
			 Total 3,478,543 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Consumer Direct—Thomson Directories 2006-07 581,424 
			 DTI Classified Recruitment 2006-07 11,457 
			 AC AS Miscellaneous Advertising Activity 2006-07 228,949 
			 Total 821,830 
		
	
	Details of any other expenditure by the DTI and its agencies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: EC Law

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many EU  (a) regulations,  (b) directives and  (c) decisions within his Department's responsibility (i) were introduced and (ii) became obsolete in each year since 1977.

Ian McCartney: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent by his Department on public relations in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following was spent on public relations by DTI and its agencies via the Central Office of Information in each of the last five full financial years:
	
		
			   £ 
			  2002-03 0 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 DTI Dispute Resolution PR roster project 3,000 
			 Renewable Energy PR Campaign 531,664 
			 SME PR roster project 9,000 
			 Total 543,664 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 DTI Best Business Practice/GCI OR work 346,205 
			 DTI Best Practice Media Evaluation 5,910 
			 DTI Dispute Resolution PR roster project 74,962 
			 DTI Renewables 572,633 
			 DTI-Fishburn Hedges 'Best Practice' PR 158,898 
			 Sunday Times Enterprise Network Sponsorship 146,497 
			 Total 1,305,105 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Consumer Direct PR—freelance contract October 2005-March 2006 32,694 
			 Consumer Direct PR—October 2005-March 2006 57,447 
			 Consumer Direct PR—MP Event October 2005 6,963 
			 Consumer Direct—appointment of PR agency 174,640 
			 DTI Renewable Energy PR 2005-06 137,080 
			 PR support for ACAS DVD 3,645 
			 SBS Enterprising Britain PR (Geronimo) 76,240 
			 SBS Interim PR activity 105,786 
			 Total 594,495 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Business Link PR 2006-07 179,113 
			 DTI Gap Analysis 9,071 
			 DTI Renewable Energy PR 2005-06 131,582 
			 SBS Enterprising Britain PR 2006-07 163,642 
			 Total 483,408 
		
	
	Details of any other expenditure by the DTI and its agencies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Travel Agents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The amount paid by the Department on travel agent fees was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 338,250 
			 2005-06 466,499 
			 2004-05 470,122 
			 2003-04 523,904 
			 2002-03 441,882 
			 2001-02 496,476 
			 2000-01 515,440 
			 1999-2000 303,789 
		
	
	From 1 October 2006, DTI moved to an arrangement where it pays a travel agent a set fee per transaction. The set fees are part of an OGC centrally negotiated contract available to government departments. Prior to 1 October 2006 DTI paid the operating costs of a team employed by the travel agent to work on DTI business travel arrangements.
	Travel agent fees for 1998-99 and 1997-98 are not available due to change of travel agent and it would entail disproportionate costs to provide the data.

EC Trade: China

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions has he had with his  (a) French and  (b) Italian counterparts on EU/China trade quotas in the period up to the end of 2008.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 4 June 2007
	I have regular discussions with my French and Italian counterparts on a range of trade issues although this issue has not yet been raised this year.

Electricity: Consumption

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many organisations in  (a) the private sector and  (b) the public sector have half hourly metered electricity consumption of  (a) greater than 6000 megawatt hours a year,  (b) between 5000 and 6000 mwh a year,  (c) between 4000 and 5000 mwh a year,  (d) between 3000 and 4000 mwh a year and  (e) between 2000 and 3000 mwh a year.

Malcolm Wicks: Data are only readily available for counts of meters rather than organisations and can not be spilt between public and private sectors. Many half hourly metered organisations have more than one site.
	The table shows the number of half hourly meters in Great Britain by consumption band in 2005.
	
		
			  Consumption band (megawatt hours a year)  Number of meters 
			 2000-3000 4,274 
			 3000-4000 2,463 
			 4000-5000 1,633 
			 5000-6000 1,013 
			 6000 + 4,089

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the costs to small and medium sized businesses of implementing the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive; and what steps he has taken to minimise the cost to small businesses.

Malcolm Wicks: A full regulatory impact assessment was published alongside the UK WEEE regulations. While there are no derogations for SMEs in the WEEE directive and hence the UK WEEE regulations, the Government have been keen to work with small businesses and their representative organisations to ensure they are not disproportionately affected. For example, we have introduced a tiered fee structure for producer registrations—a move widely welcomed and supported by the Federation of Small Businesses.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to exempting small and medium sized businesses from the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The WEEE directive does not allow member states a "de-minimis" approach which would exclude small businesses from its scope. The UK Regulations ensure that small businesses are not disproportionately affected and both the registration fees for producers and distributors are scaled according to company size.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what producer compliance schemes are available for the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive which are specifically targeted at small and medium sized businesses.

Malcolm Wicks: There are 37 approved producer compliance schemes details of which are available on both the DTI website
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/sustainability/weee/page30269.html
	and the Environment Agency website
	http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/weee.
	Under the WEEE regulations producer compliance schemes are required to take into account the different sizes of their members and structure their fees and services accordingly.

Employment: Science

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what monitoring he undertakes of the numbers of science based jobs in the UK; what assessment he has made of recent trends in such numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 11 June 2007
	The Government welcomed the Leitch review, published in December 2006, and its analysis of the growing importance of skills in a modern economy. A significant part of the Government's role, as set out in more detail in the Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004:2014, is to ensure that the UK produces a healthy supply of people with science, engineering and technology (SET) skills. These skills are vital in helping to achieve the ambition of making Britain the most attractive location in the world for science and innovation. The Government accept there must be a shared responsibility for delivering this ambition; employers, individuals and the Government must all improve their efforts and investment.
	DTI Economics Paper Number 16, Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Skills in the UK provides 2004 baseline and 2014 projected figures for employment in SET occupations. The table is as follows:
	
		
			  Projected employment in SET occupations in 2014 
			  Occupation  2004 (baseline)  2014 (forecast)  Percentage change 
			 Science and technology professionals 947,000 1,121,000 18 
			 Health professionals 277,000 360,000 12 
			 Science and technology associate professionals 593,000 666,000 30 
			 Health associate professionals 1,045,000 1,122,000 7 
			 All other occupations 26,449,000 27,314,000 4

Energy: Coal

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of clean coal technology in future energy policy.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI has supported research and development for clean coal technologies and carbon capture and storage through calls under the Technology Programme. The focus has been on cleaner combustion technologies, fuel switching to lower carbon alternatives and carbon capture and storage. This funding will continue through 2007 at which stage the new arrangements for the Technology Strategy Board and Energy Technologies Institute will be introduced.
	In September 2006 the Department launched a Carbon Abatement Technologies Demonstration Programme, worth some £35 million. This programme will focus on the pre-commercial demonstration of key components and systems to support carbon abatement technologies.
	In the 2007 Budget Government announced that we would launch a competition to develop the UK's first commercial scale demonstration of CCS. The recent Energy White Paper confirms that the competition is planned to be launched in November 2007.

Energy: Conservation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraphs 2.69 and 2.70 of the Energy White Paper, what estimate he has made of the number of free visual real-time displays of energy consumption to be given to consumers in each year from 2008.

Malcolm Wicks: Around 1.25 million electricity meters are replaced each year. Each household whose meter was replaced would be eligible to receive a display device, subject to its being technically possible to fit one. Additionally, the Government estimate that up to 5,000,000 customers might request a display device from their supplier over the two-year period to 2010. The proposals in the Energy White Paper will be subject to consultation including testing these assumptions in the coming months.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the additional income received by power generating companies as a consequence of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in each year since its commencement; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 11 June 2007
	Analysis by IPA Energy Consulting Ltd., carried out for DTI, estimates the potential for an increase in wholesale generator profit of £800 million a year as a result of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. This is based on the assumptions that electricity generators pass on the full costs of carbon allowances through to higher electricity prices, a carbon price of €15 and the current Phase I annual allocation to the sector of 130MtCO2. However, this figure is dependent on modelling assumptions and is subject to considerable uncertainty. In particular, the current price of Phase I ETS allowances is significantly lower than €15, so the potential for increased profits will be less than £800 million.

Export Credit Guarantees: Coal Fired Power Stations

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export credit guarantees were granted to British firms involved in constructing coal-fired power stations in each of the last five years.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 6 June 2007
	None.

Information

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to publish the Government's response to the Office of Fair Trading's report The Commercial Use of Public Information.

Ian McCartney: The OFT's report contains some challenging recommendations. Given the importance and potential impact of the recommendations, and the wider constituency of interested parties both within and outside Government, more time was required to properly frame the response. The Government expect to publish their response to the report before the end of June.
	We will communicate further when the report is published.

National Institute for Medical Research

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of the National Institute for Medical Research.

Malcolm Wicks: The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) is a wholly owned Institute of the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC has stated that it wishes NIMR in future to work with leading university research and clinical partners so as to improve the translation of research into improved health outcomes.
	The MRC is currently preparing a business case that will address the options for taking this forward and assesses opportunities to develop a wider vision for enhanced collaboration with other funding bodies and industrial partners.

Political Levy

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library figures held by the Certification Office on  (a) the percentage of union members paying into a political fund,  (b) the proportion of political fund expenditure spent on affiliation fees,  (c) the contribution per union member to the political fund and  (d) the percentage of union members paying into a political fund included in the calculation of the affiliation fee for each trade union in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I am placing in the Libraries of the House the latest annual returns to the certification officer of the 28 unions with political funds. These returns contain the data provided to the certification officer on the income and expenditure of each political fund.

Seals: Animal Products

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the Canadian Government on the annual Canadian commercial seal hunt; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Canada is aware of the UK's opposition to its commercial seal hunt and the matter was last discussed at Government level when I met Canada's Ambassador for Fisheries and others on 28 March. The Canadians also raised the issue at the EU-Canada Summit on 4 June 2007.

Working Hours: Parents

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of (i) mothers and (ii) fathers who work hours outside the typical 8.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday working week (A) at least once a week, (B) at least twice a week, (C) at least three times a week and (D) at least four times a week.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Labour Force Survey (LFS) does not collect data on working 8:30 am to 5:30 pm but collects data on shift patterns. The following estimates are derived from the LFS spring 2006 survey of all UK employees and cover employees with dependent children under 19.
	30 per cent. of fathers (1.56 million) and 28 per cent. of mothers (1.47 million) usually work at least one day in the weekend.
	17 per cent. of fathers (890,000) and 15 per cent. of mothers (800,000) usually work both days at the weekend.
	36 per cent. of fathers (1.83 million) and 27 per cent. of mothers (1.44 million) usually work evenings, nights or shifts.
	47 per cent. of fathers (2.40 million) and 39 per cent. of mothers (2.06 million) usually work either shifts, evenings, nights or days at the weekend.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Architects Registration Board

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what basis the Architects Registration Board took the decision to spend £100,000 on legal action against Ian Salisbury, one of its former board members.

Angela Smith: Any decision to issue legal proceedings is a matter for the Board to decide in the course of exercising its statutory functions. I am assured that the Board would only expect to issue proceedings as a last resort, on legal advice and following strenuous efforts to resolve matters without proceedings. The proceedings between the Board and Mr Salisbury were settled on terms satisfactory to both parties.

Audit Commission: Visits Abroad

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the visits which representatives of the Audit Commission have made outside the UK at public expense in the last 12 months.

Ruth Kelly: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member. The Chief Executive subsequently replied on 11 June and a copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

Constituencies: Greater London

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to amend the boundaries of Greater London; and what representations she has received on this in the last 12 months.

Ruth Kelly: The Department has no plans to amend the boundaries of Greater London, and has received no representations on this matter over the past year.

Council Tax

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the likely changes in the level of council tax for residents in each of the shire counties in which consideration is being given to  (a) new unitary authority arrangements and  (b) enhanced two-tier working arrangements if those arrangements are implemented.

Phil Woolas: The Government have not made any estimate of the likely changes in council tax arising from any new unitary authority arrangements or enhanced two-tier working arrangements. The Government have made clear that proposals for new arrangements must represent value for money and be met from existing resources. As part of their business case for new arrangements, bidding authorities were required to include worked examples of how an authority could align council tax across its area. Copies of the business cases are available from the authorities' own websites, accessible via a link on the Communities and Local Government website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l509022

Departments: Data Protection

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times her Department was found to have been in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The definition of 'found to have been in breach' is a broad one. Depending on their nature, breaches by Government Departments of the Data Protection Act 1998 can be dealt with by the Information Commissioner, the Courts or by Departments at an informal local level. The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in her Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

Angela Smith: There are no ministerial residences allocated to Communities and Local Government Ministers.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was raised from the sale of departmental property in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: No land or buildings for which Communities and Local Government, its agencies or its predecessor Department are responsible for, has been sold in the last five years.
	This answer does not include land or buildings occupied by Government Offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate has been made of the value of her Department's property portfolio.

Angela Smith: The most recent valuation dates of the Department's property assets, not including properties held by sponsored bodies, were 31 March 2006 (audited) and 31 March 2007 (not yet audited) and the total portfolio value at both dates was £25 million.
	This answer does not include land or buildings occupied by Government Offices, which carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance the Audit Commission has produced on the effectiveness of moving to alternate weekly collections in terms of meeting the objectives of waste management.

Ruth Kelly: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member. The Chief Executive subsequently replied on 11 June and a copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

Fire Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the percentage of work currently carried out by emergency fire controls which is out of scope of the Fire Control Project but which will remain the responsibility of local fire brigades; and what her estimate is of the cost of carrying out the work currently deemed out of scope.

Angela Smith: All aspects of emergency call handling, mobilisation and incident management are within the scope of the new networked Regional Control Centres (RCCs), and their costs are reflected in the FiReControl business case.
	In 2006, based on detailed information provided by the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), a preliminary estimate was made of the activities which are currently performed within existing control rooms and how they might be delivered under the new regional control arrangements. The ongoing cost to FRSs was estimated to be around £4 million per annum.
	Significant local differences exist in the amount of "out of scope" activity carried out by existing control rooms. Each FRS will need to produce a plan for dealing with this work as part of its detailed transition planning. This will provide a more accurate estimate of the cost of continuing to deliver these activities.

Fire Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she will consider the introduction of national response times for the Fire Service following the move to regional fire controls in order to determine whether response times from time of call to arrival at an incident will improve after regional controls go live; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: It is for each Fire and Rescue Authority to determine appropriate response times as part of its integrated risk management plan. The Government have no plans to introduce national targets. As part of the process of introducing Regional Control Centres the Department has developed a set of benefits indicators, one of which will enable it to show the impact of Regional Control Centres on response times. Two features of the fire control system, Automatic Vehicle Location Systems (AVLS) and the ability to dynamically mobilise fire appliances directly, even when they are not in a fire station, are expected to put a downward pressure on response times. There are a number of other factors affecting response times, including the number and location of fire appliances as well as the control arrangements.

Freedom of Information: Easington District Council

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to respond to the District of Easington Council with the information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on 4 April 2007; what the reasons are for the delay; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Freedom of Information request from Easington district council seeks information about the proposal by Durham county council for a unitary local authority for Durham, and is one of a large number of requests received on unitary proposals. The Department wrote to Easington district council on 4 May informing them that we did hold information which came within their request, but that the information came within the qualified exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and that we required further time to assess whether the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it. We intend to respond to the request no later than 15 June 2007.

Housing: Camden

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with Camden council on funding for Decent Homes; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 June 2007
	 The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has not had any meetings with Camden council about their decent homes programme or funding. As Minister for Housing I met Camden council on 24 May this year to discuss decent homes. I previously met the council on 18 July 2005.

Housing: Construction

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the guidance on the use of windfall land to meet regional housing targets in Planning Policy Statement 3 differs from the 2000 edition of Planning Policy Guidance Note 3; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Reflecting the need to build more homes across the country to meet the needs of our growing population, and the plan-led approach to the provision of housing, Planning Policy Statement 3: "Housing" (PPS3) asks local authorities, wherever possible, to identify specific sites for housing in their plans.
	In some circumstances it may make sense for local authorities to include a windfall allowance in planning their land supply. PPS3 makes clear that it is open to local authorities to do this if they can clearly demonstrate why, in the particular circumstances of their local area, specific sites cannot be identified.
	Planning Policy Guidance 3: "Housing" (PPG3; (2000), which new PPS3 replaces, asked local authorities to make specific allowances for windfalls in their plans.
	We want authorities to plan properly for their housing provision, on the basis of specific sites that reflect clear and informed strategies for the location of housing development, and for the infrastructure needed to service it.

Housing: Construction

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration has been given to ways of decreasing the potential damage to health from small particle emissions in housing developments near roads.

Ben Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
	Health based air quality standards have been set both at a domestic and EU level on a range of air pollutants, including particulate matter. Action to improve air quality is underway across Government at national, international and local levels.
	The introduction of the "Euro" series of progressively tighter emission standards has been underway since 1992, and has drastically lowered the permitted limits for particulate matter emission from new diesel vehicles. This has been complemented by improvements in product standards for petrol and diesel, which have lowered the permitted amounts of certain pollutant-forming substances in these fuels. Further "Euro" vehicle emission standards, with even tighter emission limits for particles, are due to be introduced between now and 2014. This is supported by other Government action, including the promotion of cleaner, less polluting fuel and vehicle technologies.
	Local authorities are also taking forward their duty to review and assess air quality in their areas against objectives for a range of pollutants. If there is a likely chance of failure in meeting any of these objectives, an authority is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area and take forward action plans within its remit to address the problem. Such action is progressed in coordination with other agencies, including the Highways Agency and Environment Agency.
	The content of action plans varies from one authority to another, and depends upon the sources of the pollutants of concern. However, common elements where emissions from roads are a particular problem include:
	(i) A commitment to working closely with the Highways Agency on possible emissions reduction measures where trunk roads are major local sources of pollutants;
	(ii) Local traffic management measures to limit access to, or re-route traffic away from, problem areas. Low emission zones are a possible solution that some authorities have been looking at in this context;
	(iii) Commitment to developing green travel plans and/or to using cleaner-fuelled vehicles in the authority's own fleet;
	(iv) A strategy for informing members of the public about air quality issues, via local newsletters or other media;
	(v) Quality partnerships with bus or fleet operators to deliver cleaner, quieter vehicles in return for the provision of better bus lanes or more flexible delivery arrangements; and
	(vi) local walking and cycling strategies.

Housing: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex are on waiting lists for social housing.

Yvette Cooper: Information is available on numbers of households rather than people. The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The link for this table is as follows:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/embedded_obiect.asp?id=1163853
	Local authorities in England currently report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual housing strategy statistical appendix returns.
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties were  (a) bought and  (b) part-bought in (i) Somerset and (ii) Taunton constituency under the Government's Homebuy scheme in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the total number of properties purchased under low cost home ownership schemes in each of the last five years for Somerset and for the area covered by Taunton Deane borough council. This information is not held on a constituency basis.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-7( 1) 
			  Somerset  
			 Shared ownership 16 20 53 79 96 
			 Shared equity 5 12 8 17 6 
			  Taunton Deane  
			 Shared ownership — — — 25 — 
			 Shared equity — 4 2 8 4 
			 (1 )Provisional.  Source: Housing Corporation 
		
	
	The shared ownership schemes (currently known as new build homebuy) have allowed applicants buy a share of a property (from 25 per cent.-75 per cent.) and pay rent to a housing association on the remaining share which they do not own.
	The shared equity schemes (currently known as open market homebuy) have enabled people to buy a property on the open market with the help of equity loans. Under the current scheme purchasers buy the property outright, but only need to raise around 75 per cent. of the purchase price of their home from a conventional mortgage. The balance is made up by two equity loans, each of around 12.5 per cent. of the purchase price. One loan comes from Government through a homebuy agent and the other comes from one of four mortgage lenders participating in the homebuy scheme.

Housing: Northamptonshire

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings were located in  (a) Northamptonshire,  (b) North Northamptonshire and  (c) Wellingborough in (i) April 1997 and (ii) the latest date for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 June 2007
	 The information requested has been tabulated as follows:
	
		
			   31 March 1997  31 March 2006 
			 Corby 21,681 23,936 
			 Daventry 27,165 32,538 
			 East Northamptonshire 29,818 35,344 
			 Kettering 34,252 38,746 
			 Northampton 79,453 86,959 
			 South Northamptonshire 29,503 34,858 
			 Wellingborough 29,449 31,643 
			 Northamptonshire 251,321 284,024 
			  Source: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix 
		
	
	Communities and Local Government do not define an area for North Northamptonshire so figures have been provided for each district in Northamptonshire.

Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidelines her Department has issued to local authorities on the subject of basement excavations to residential properties; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Officials from the Department of Communities and Local Government have recently helped with revising the industry-led Approved Document—Basements for Dwellings. This helpful document which is aimed primarily at the home owner and small builder is available from the Basement Information Centre in Camberley, Surrey. It is referenced on the Communities and Local Government website.

Local Government: Standards

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities, classified by Government office region, have public service agreement (PSA) targets which include adoption targets; what the target for adoption is in each case; and how much money each local authority will receive if it achieves all of its PSA targets.

Phil Woolas: There are 61 reward targets in local public service agreements and local area agreements which measure performance on adoption and/or stability of placements for looked-after children. Reward would be payable to local authorities and their partners for achievement of these particular targets. Details on each target have been made available in the Library of the House.

Non-Domestic Rates: Exemptions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to undertake a review of business rates exemptions.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given, to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) on 4 June 2007,  Official Report, column 191W.

Planning: Land Use

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition she uses of genuine local circumstances that would allow windfall sites to be included in local authority plans.

Yvette Cooper: Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) "Housing" asks local authorities to identify specific sites which will deliver their housing numbers and brownfield targets. In doing so it makes clear that allowances for windfalls should not be included in the first 10 years of the plan. This is intended to help achieve, within the plan-led system, the twin aims of giving certainty that land will come forward, and of demonstrating to local communities and developers where development will be accepted. The plan process, with its community involvement and public examination, gives the opportunity for an open debate about local authorities' policies and strategies for development.
	However, where local planning authorities can provide robust evidence of genuine local circumstances that prevent specific sites being identified, a windfall allowance may be justified. The circumstances, by their very nature, will vary depending on local factors relevant to individual local planning authorities. And the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment will be key to this. In PPS3 we have also said that any such allowance should be realistic having regard to evidence of land availability, historic windfall delivery rates and expected future trends.

Property: Fires

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total insured fire losses for  (a) dwellings and  (b) commercial premises for each fire and rescue service have been in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, broken down by region.

Angela Smith: Information on total insured fire losses is collected by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Data for the last 10 years are shown as follows. The information is not available for individual fire and rescue services. The table includes the costs of business interruption following fire damage.
	
		
			  Gross insured fire-related claims, Great Britain, 1997-2006 
			  £ million 
			   Domestic fire damage  Commercial fire damage  Business interruption following fire damage 
			 1997 270 492 221 
			 1998 281 602 207 
			 1999 286 579 99 
			 2000 333 521 122 
			 2001 371 679 84 
			 2002 346 799 209 
			 2003 360 707 81 
			 2004 326 486 98 
			 2005 358 765 220 
			 2006 395 744 148 
			  Note: Only claims arising from fire and explosions following fires are included. Any explosion only claims are excluded, so the figures will not include any terrorist bombings.  Source: Association of British Insurers.

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has produced on the criteria for designating an organisation as a regional planning body.

Ruth Kelly: The criteria for recognising a body as a regional planning body are set out under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and its supporting regional planning regulations, Town and Country Planning (Regional Planning)(England) Regulations 2004 No. 2203.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of social housing were built in each local government area in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of social rent homes provided in each local government area in each financial year since 1997-98 are shown in a table which has been placed in the Library of the House. The table includes both new build and acquisitions.
	For 2006-07, provisional figures indicate that around 25,000 social rented homes were provided. For 2007-08 we are currently estimating that 30,000 social rented homes will be delivered.

Social Rented Housing: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of social housing there were in each London local authority in  (a) 1986,  (b) 1996 and  (c) 2006; and how many of these were three-bedrooms or larger.

Yvette Cooper: Numbers of social dwellings for rent in each London borough that are owned or managed by local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs) are tabulated as follows. Figures are as reported by local authorities and RSLs.
	
		
			  Number of social for rent dwellings in London by borough, 1986, 1996 and 2006 
			   1986  1996  2006 
			 London 933,221 836,745 773,009 
			 Barking and Dagenham 32,162 27,402 23,045 
			 Barnet 20,229 18,346 17,466 
			 Bexley 12,937 11,782 12,593 
			 Brent 27,962 23,960 22,925 
			 Bromley 20,884 17,998 17,810 
			 Camden 39,332 36,277 34,749 
			 City of London 1,549 759 725 
			 Croydon 22,954 23,169 23,900 
			 Ealing 24,364 22,792 22,658 
			 Enfield 20,665 18,090 17,722 
			 Greenwich 39,880 37,503 35,261 
			 Hackney 53,835 49,802 43,805 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 27,862 25,973 25,183 
			 Haringey 29,617 28,461 26,907 
			 Harrow 9,331 8,320 8,609 
			 Havering 17,868 14,721 13,129 
			 Hillingdon 19,032 16,252 16,230 
			 Hounslow 23,254 20,908 18,638 
			 Islington 48,544 46,252 40,254 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 19,947 18,854 19,928 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7,567 7,119 6,865 
			 Lambeth 56,751 54,300 48,110 
			 Lewisham 47,076 42,373 36,252 
			 Merton 13,973 11,975 11,157 
			 Newham 35,072 34,211 29,243 
			 Redbridge 12,324 9,429 9,440 
			 Richmond upon Thames 12,024 9,876 9,730 
			 Southwark 68,716 65,501 55,688 
			 Sutton 13,824 12,680 11,141 
			 Tower Hamlets 53,576 44,805 39,079 
			 Waltham Forest 22,782 19,739 21,126 
			 Wandsworth 44,924 29,753 26,964 
			 Westminster 32,404 27,363 26,677 
			  Source: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix from Local Authorities and Regulatory Statistical Return from Registered Social Landlords 
		
	
	For 2006 RSL stock are comprised of general needs self-contained units and supported/older people self-contained units and bed spaces as self-contained units are not shown separately at local authority level.
	Information on the number of bedrooms is not available centrally.
	Homes for social rent only makes up part of the affordable supply; the remainder is provided through low cost home ownership or other sub-market rental products. Between 1 April 1996 and 31 March 2006, 108,815 affordable homes were provided through these schemes in London.

Social Rented Housing: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were registered on local authority housing waiting lists in each  (a) English region and  (b) London local authority in (i) 1986, (ii) 1996 and (iii) 2006.

Yvette Cooper: Information is available on numbers of households rather than people. The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in each English region and London local authority in 1986, 1996 and 2006 is given in the table:
	
		
			  Number of households on waiting list for social housing, as at 1 April in 1986, 1996 and 2006 by region, as reported by local authorities 
			   1986  1996  2006 
			 North East 105,822 82,223 95,359 
			 North West 219,890 144,554 214,210 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 172,609 164,714 247,499 
			 East Midlands 130,347 113,190 133,823 
			 West Midlands 130,267 96,661 126,629 
			 East of England 111,336 90,188 135,444 
			 London 272,271 178,656 331,230 
			 South East 124,247 107,107 195,700 
			 South West 84,543 84,886 151,220 
			 England 1,351,332 1,062,179 1,631,114 
			  Note:  As reported by local authorities  Source:  Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA). Historic data from Housing Investment Programme (1986 and 1996) 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of households on waiting list for social housing by London local authority, in1986, 1996 and 2006, as reported by local authorities 
			   1986  1996  2006 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,880 1,679 7,689 
			 Barnet 5,753 2,975 16,470 
			 Bexley 3,751 3,863 5,955 
			 Brent 18,496 9,503 16,398 
			 Bromley 4,376 2,983 4,282 
			 Camden 16,922 6,873 9,562 
			 City of London 553 822 1,427 
			 Croydon 5,226 5,496 9,271 
			 Ealing 9,114 9,669 15,936 
			 Enfield 7,825 3,557 7,055 
			 Greenwich 15,015 6,445 10,239 
			 Hackney 15,850 10,294 8,815 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 9,235 6,187 7,795 
			 Haringey 12,147 3,793 24,939 
			 Harrow 2,001 1,772 5,533 
			 Havering 3,140 2,332 3,876 
			 Hillingdon 3,722 3,387 7,136 
			 Hounslow 8,637 6,232 11,666 
			 Islington 9,500 8,485 8,489 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 9,987 4,725 10,798 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,912 1,901 5,726 
			 Lambeth 16,652 13,081 13,611 
			 Lewisham 22,585 11,766 17,535 
			 Merton 3,849 3,737 3,278 
			 Newham 5,386 8,975 29,574 
			 Redbridge 2,791 1,903 10,807 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,038 3,071 5,726 
			 Southwark 14,583 6,662 8,057 
			 Sutton 1,634 1,921 3,408 
			 Tower Hamlets 10,000 6,718 12,926 
			 Waltham Forest 7,578 8,555 11,059 
			 Wandsworth 6,981 5,620 8,952 
			 Westminster 9,152 3,674 7,240 
			  Note:  As reported by local authorities  Source:  Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA). Historic data from Housing Investment Programme (1986 and 1996) 
		
	
	Local authorities in England currently report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns.
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Aid

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms he uses to measure the effectiveness and impacts of aid; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Government are committed to ensuring that UK aid is used effectively to make a difference to the lives of the world's poorest people. Our international development assistance is scrutinised by Parliament and by the National Audit Office. DFID has its own evaluation, audit and reporting under the International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Act, and I am establishing a new Independent Advisory Committee for Development Impact.
	International mechanisms include monitoring aid effectiveness under the Paris Declaration, and by the OECD Development Assistance Committee, which found DFID to be a model of development cooperation.

Middle East

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's priorities are in Palestine.

Hilary Benn: We are providing support to the Palestinians through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
	DFID has given £15 million through the TIM, which has supported Palestinian health services, allowances for government workers and the provision of water, sanitation and electricity services.
	DFID also gave £15.6 million to UNRWA in April. This is helping it provide essential services such as health, education and housing to 4.1 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

Vulture Funds

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking to tackle the operation of vulture funds.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on vulture funds; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID regularly works closely with HM Treasury on vulture funds.
	The UK deplores the actions of so-called vulture funds and will work to limit their impact by:
	working with the World Bank to make the debt reduction facility, which helps countries buy back their commercial debts at heavily discounted rates, more effective;
	working with the African Development Bank and others to ensure that countries have access to legal assistance to fight ongoing cases;
	proposing a voluntary charter for creditors to help avoid debts being sold to vulture funds;
	strengthening debt management in heavily indebted poor countries.

Latin America

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's regional assistance programme for Latin America for 2008-11.

Gareth Thomas: A consultation document on DFID's plans for Latin America from 2008 to 2011 can be found on DFID's website (www.dfid.gov.uk).
	DFID's proposed approach includes retaining a presence in Bolivia, Nicaragua and Brazil, a continued partnership with the World Bank and Inter-America Development Bank, and a continued focus on market opportunities for the poor and governance.
	There would be also a new focus on climate change, and DFID will work closely with Brazil as a global and regional champion of development issues. The bilateral programme in Nicaragua will continue.

Poverty Reduction

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of  (a) the UK's and  (b) the G8 countries' contributions to reducing poverty in the last two years following the Gleneagles summit.

Hilary Benn: There has been some good progress on reducing poverty in the last two years as set out in DFID's annual report to Parliament. Globally there has been a significant rise in global aid—by 25 per cent. to just over $100 billion since 2004. However there is still much more to be done and it is a priority for the UK Government to work with others to ensure the Gleneagles commitments are implemented.

G8

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his assessment is of the outcomes of the recent G8 meeting in respect of international development.

Hilary Benn: On climate change, the G8 summit made significant progress towards a new global agreement.
	The summit also reaffirmed the Gleneagles commitments on aid, and set out how the commitment to AIDS will be delivered with additional funding and help for vulnerable mothers and children.

Somalia

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Somalia.

Hilary Benn: We are in close contact with the relief agencies who make regular assessments of the situation on the ground. The UN estimates that more than one million Somalis need direct humanitarian assistance and the entire population of southern and central Somalia, over four million people, are at risk. There are high levels of starvation and epidemic disease, and the continuing insecurity has a direct effect, with people being killed and wounded, robbed, raped and otherwise abused. Another indirect effect of the fighting is that it disrupts the efforts of Somalis to pursue their livelihoods and access basic services.

Africa: Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department has undertaken to improve housing conditions for the urban poor in African cities.

Hilary Benn: DFID works primarily through the UN Human Settlements Programme—better known as "UN Habitat"—the UN agency charged in 1978 with promoting socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities through the provision of adequate shelter for all. UN Habitat is the mandated lead agency of the UN for cities, urban poverty, and slum dwellers. DFID provides core funding to UN Habitat of £1 million per year.
	DFID also supports the joint donor initiative Cities Alliance, which works with partners with municipal governments on city development strategies and slum upgrading. DFID is providing £3 million over four years to the Cities Alliance to strengthen urban planning in developing countries.
	UN Habitat and Cities Alliance jointly manage the Slum Upgrading Facility (SUF), a technical assistance and bridging-finance facility to develop projects that attract domestic capital and investment for urban regeneration, primarily in cities in the developing world. The SUF's £5.9 million programme has targeted six African countries: Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
	Cities Alliance further manages, with the NGO Homeless International, the Community Lead Infrastructure Financing Facility (CLIFF). CLIFF is an investment fund mechanism for assisting organisations working with the urban poor to access private finance to undertake infrastructure initiatives in partnership with municipalities. Working in partnership with poor communities, CLIFF aims to access resources from public and private sectors for slum-upgrading projects. CLIFF has recently begun expanding its work to Kenya.
	Through its bilateral programmes, DFID also supports local programmes, for example in Kenya with the Centre for Housing Rights and Evictions (CHoRE). This organisation campaigns for the protection of housing rights and the prevention of forced evictions. DFID supported the development of National Evictions Guidelines for Kenya.

Trade Unions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payments were made  (a) by and  (b) through his Department to overseas (i) trades unions and (ii) collections of trade unionists from the public purse in each year since May 1997; and what the (A) value and (B) recipient was of each.

Gareth Thomas: The information requested is not collated centrally. To answer this question in full would incur disproportionate cost.
	DFID supports progress towards the millennium development goals by working through a wide range of partners, including national governments and local civil society organisations (including trade unions). DFID works with trade unions and collections of trade unionists when this is judged to be an effective and efficient means of helping reduce poverty. Civil society (including trade unions) can play a critical role in helping poor people hold their governments to account and have a voice in decisions which affect their lives.
	For example, our country offices in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Tanzania are providing direct support to local trade unions. DFID also funds a number of poverty reduction projects implemented by domestic trade unions—such as TUC Aid helping to promote workers' rights and secure better living standards in Sierra Leone (starting 2007-08, £400,000 over three years) and UNISON strengthening the public sector union response to tackling HIV/AIDS in southern Africa (starting 2007-08, £350,000 over three years).

Developing Countries: Community Development

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to support community organisations in the developing world.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provides financial support to community organisations in the developing world both directly and through UK civil society organisations. As the National Audit Office reported last year, DFID support to civil society organisations as a whole has grown fast since 1997, keeping track with the growing aid budget.
	It is a priority for us to help build the capacity of civil society in developing countries, including community groups, to hold local and national governments to account. This is the focus of the new Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF), which will provide £100 million support over the next five years. In order to maximise local involvement and capacity building, successful applicants must grant at least 85 per cent. of their GTF funds to local partners in developing countries.
	Another new approach to assisting community groups among others, while also raising levels of awareness about global issues in the UK, is the proposed Linking scheme set out in the White Paper. This proposes to support links between UK groups and counterparts in the developing world. A public consultation has just closed and DFID in now considering how to take this forward.

International Assistance: Environment Protection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account is taken by his Department of environmental factors when undertaking development projects.

Gareth Thomas: DFID makes sure that potential environmental aspects of development projects are taken into account during their design and implementation. Environmental screening is mandatory during the preparation of all DFID projects over £1 million. It is used to identify and address environmental risks and opportunities associated with DFID funded projects. The screening process identifies actions required to address potential environmental impacts.
	A review of environmental screening for the financial years 2003-04 and 2004-05 was published in September 2006 as Evaluation Working Paper No. 21. This is available on DFID's website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/environmental-screening-review.pdf.

Lebanon

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1091-92W, on Lebanon, what UK initiatives to promote democratic oversight of reconstruction spending and planning in Lebanon are in place; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Together with the British embassy in Beirut, DFID continues to monitor, and engage with efforts to promote democratic oversight of, reconstruction spending and planning. The embassy funded a recent UK parliamentary/National Audit Office mission to Beirut to help the Lebanese Parliament explore what steps might be needed to strengthen its budgetary oversight role. Such initiatives highlight the importance of resuming the normal operation of the Lebanese Parliament, and have the potential to contribute to addressing some of the issues underlying the conflict.

Lebanon

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1091-2W, on Lebanon, what assessment he has made of the  (a) impact and  (b) potential impact of the recent conflict and instability in Lebanon on UK bilateral programmes in (i) the Occupied Palestinian Territory and (ii) Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The recent conflict and instability in Lebanon has not affected our bilateral programmes either in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) or in Iraq. DFID continues to monitor the situation and will react accordingly.

Lebanon: Internally Displaced Persons

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the numbers of individuals displaced within Lebanon by the recent violence; and whether any changes are planned to the UK's humanitarian assistance for Lebanon.

Hilary Benn: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has reported that due to the recent violence in Lebanon, over 20,000 people have been displaced from the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp. Most have fled to the nearby Beddawi refugee camp and some to other refugee camps in South Lebanon. Indications are that there are between 3,000 and 5,000 refugees remaining inside the camp. UNRWA estimates that around 27,000 refugees were living in the camp before the crisis, although some reports put the number as high as 40,000.
	The UK is providing £100 million of unearmarked funding over five years to UNRWA, of which around 20 per cent. historically goes to Lebanon. This support provides UNRWA with the funding predictability that enables more effective planning, and the flexibility for UNRWA to allocate funds where they are most needed. We will continue to watch how the situation in Lebanon develops and remain ready to provide additional support as appropriate based on humanitarian need and the country's and agencies' ability to respond. The EC is providing €370,000 of humanitarian assistance of which the UK share is £45,000.

Nepal: Education

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will provide a breakdown of how the £60 million funding for education in Nepal announced on 5 April is proposed to be spent; and what the time scale is for the release of the funding.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is planning to spend £60 million on education in Nepal between now and 2015. We plan to gradually increase our support to education from its current level of £5 million a year as the political environment in Nepal improves following the recent peace agreement between the government and the Maoists. DFID currently puts all of its support into the Government's Education for All programme, which is supported by other donors and which has resulted in increases in enrolment to primary education, despite the ongoing conflict, including for girls and disadvantaged groups.
	Education for All will finish in 2009 and will be superseded by a new government programme that covers both primary and secondary education, which DFID will support. We will work with other donors and the government of Nepal to continue to improve access at all levels, especially for socially excluded groups. We will also help the Government to improve the quality of education, in particular by increasing teacher numbers in overcrowded schools and increasing classroom building.
	Education has a vital role to play in stabilising the peace in Nepal after the recent conflict, much of which was motivated by inequality, including inequality in gaining access to government services.

Pakistan: Rural Areas

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department supports in the rural areas of Pakistan.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is supporting the following programmes that are focused mainly on the rural areas of Pakistan.
	
		
			  Duration  Programme  Objective  Value (£ million) 
			 2006-08 Post-Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction To enable people in earthquake-affected areas, particularly the poor and vulnerable, to reconstruct and rehabilitate their lives 70 
			 2007-10 Improving Citizen Engagement through Devolution To create an enabling environment based on shared rights and responsibilities for citizen participation and community empowerment in all union councils of Pakistan 18 
			 2006-10 Rural Support Programmes Network Phase II To mobilise society and the state to meet the development needs of poor women and men in Rural Support Programme areas throughout Pakistan 10 
			 2003-08 Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project Improved and sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation by poor people in rural parts of North West Frontier Province 6.5 
			 2001-07 Neelum Valley Health Programme Access to basic health care facilities for 43,000 people in Neelum Valley 1.35 
		
	
	In addition, DFID is supporting many programmes that benefit rural areas as well as other parts of Pakistan. For example, DFID is providing over £68 million for the National Health Facility, which is funding a number of large-scale programmes in rural and urban areas.
	Indirect DFID support for rural areas in Pakistan is provided through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the European Commission. Many of these agencies have large-scale programmes directly targeted at rural areas.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact the temporary international mechanism to deliver aid to the Palestinians has had on the number of Palestinian families living beneath the poverty line; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: At the start of 2006 the World Bank predicted that the Palestinian economy would contract by 27 per cent. during the year. The latest estimates are that the economy in fact contracted by 5-10 per cent. in 2006. Increased EU funding through the temporary international mechanism (TIM) alongside other donor funding, mostly from Arab states, made a substantial contribution to slowing this economic decline. The World Bank and the European Commission are currently assessing the impact of the TIM. The results of this review are expected to be available soon.
	However, despite increased donor funding, poverty rates have almost doubled, up from 22 per cent. to 56 per cent. in the West Bank and from 43 per cent. to 87 per cent. in Gaza. The main reasons for this are the effects on the Palestinian economy of Israel's suspension of the transfer of Palestinian tax revenues and Israeli security restrictions on Palestinian movement and access to markets.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what level of annual income for Palestinian Authority employees is used to determine eligibility for funding under the temporary international mechanism; whether any other criteria affect eligibility; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: There is now no income limit for eligibility to allowances provided by the temporary international mechanism (TIM). The TIM provides a monthly allowance of 1500 Israeli Shekels (about £180) to all 71,000 civilian Palestinian authority employees and to 6,600 pensioners. It also pays a quarterly allowance of 1500 Israeli Shekels to 75,000 of the poorest and most vulnerable Palestinian families, as defined by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the World Food programme. Excluded from benefiting are individuals appearing on internationally recognised terrorist lists. Only one person has so far been excluded on this basis. With an estimated household size of six, almost one million people have so far benefited from the TIM, about a quarter of the Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of international aid provided by his Department in 2006 was given to Sri Lanka.

Gareth Thomas: DFID reports its expenditure in financial rather than calendar years. Therefore figures used are provisional bilateral outturn figures for the 2006-07 financial year. Final statistics will be published in Statistics on International Development 2007 in October.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Total DFID bilateral aid 2,515.12 
			 Total Asia 872.54 
			 Sri Lanka 5.91 
		
	
	The percentage of aid for Sri Lanka is 0.2 per cent. of the total DFID Bilateral outturn.
	Figures were published on 12 June and further details are available on the DFID website
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/pressreleases/statsrelease-bilateralaid200607.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution the UK has made to emergency relief to Darfur.

Hilary Benn: The UK is heavily engaged in Darfur on a number of levels. DFID has spent over £142 million supporting emergency relief operations in the region since October 2003. The UK is also prominent in efforts to make the humanitarian response in Sudan more effective. This includes advocacy and support for humanitarian agencies operating on the ground and through our £40 million contribution in 2007 to the pioneering Common Humanitarian Fund, allowing the UN Humanitarian Coordinator to direct resources at the areas of greatest need across the country.
	The UK is working at the highest level to secure a lasting peace in Darfur, regularly raising the need to resolve the Darfur conflict with the parties and with international partners. The UK has also contributed £73 million to the African Union Mission in Sudan to help support the protection of civilians in Darfur.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Aral Sea: Environment Protection

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of the environmental effects of the drainage of the Aral Sea; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Aral Sea has been recognised as the world's worst artificial ecological disaster. From 1960 to 2000 it lost 75 per cent. of its volume and 50 per cent. of its surface area. Its degradation has been ruinous to the people, plant and animal life in the region. None of the twenty species of fish once found in the Aral have survived. However, a dam has now been placed between the northern and southern part of the Aral Sea, built with international assistance from the World Bank. Since completion in 2005, the World Bank reports that the water-level in the northern part of the sea has gradually risen and, between 2003 and 2006, increased by 13 per cent. in surface area (from 2,850 km sq to 3,250 km sq).
	A spillway passing excess water from the northern to the southern part of the Aral Sea has been operational since February 2006 and the water level in the southern part is also now likely to increase in the future, though probably only marginally. Salinity levels of both parts of the sea have been reduced over the last two years and several freshwater fish have been returned to the sea. As such, fish harvests have considerably increased during the past two years.
	According to the World Bank, the next step is to improve the irrigation efficiency of the land in the Kazakh part of the Aral Sea basin. Additional waterworks are also planned to restore wetlands and fishing lakes in the delta region. A World Bank project to this end began in 2007 and a project monitoring mission to the Aral Sea is currently underway.
	Details of the World Bank project can be found at:
	http://www.worldbank.org.kz/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=361869&menuPK=361901&Projectid=P046045

Baker-Hamilton Commission

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her US counterpart on new talks based on the Baker-Hamilton Commission.

Kim Howells: Following publication of the Baker-Hamilton report, the Government of Iraq made clear that it would lead any discussion on Iraq by the international community. At its invitation, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the US Secretary of State both attended the Iraq Neighbours Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh on 4 May. Both the US and we look forward to continuing discussion with Iraq, its neighbours and the wider international community through this format.

Bangladesh: Political Prisoners

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has made representations on the detention without trial of the former prime minister of Bangladesh, Mondud Ahmed, to the military government of Bangladesh.

Kim Howells: We understand that a court hearing on this case is due to take place on 17 June. It is the right of the caretaker government of Bangladesh to take legitimate measures against corruption and the abuse of public office. We have made clear to them the need to resolve the cases of those in detention promptly and through due process. We continue to urge the caretaker government, the armed forces and the law enforcement agencies to act impartially and with respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Burma: Refugees

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what representations she has made to the government of  (a) Burma and  (b) Thailand on employment and education for refugees that live in camps on the border;
	(2)  what representations she has made to the government of  (a) Thailand and  (b) Malaysia on extending refugee status to parents and children of Burmese residents in camps within their borders.

Ian McCartney: Our Embassy in Bangkok has regular discussions, both bilaterally and together with EU counterparts, with the Government of Thailand and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) about the welfare of refugees in Thailand. These discussions include the question of the refugees' status and access to education and employment. Officials from our Embassy in Bangkok regularly visit the refugee camps to monitor conditions, most recently in May this year.
	We have made no representations to the Burmese government about employment and education opportunities for refugees in Thailand.
	We have made no representations to the Malaysian government on the status of Burmese refugees. However, our High Commission in Kuala Lumpur remains in close contact with UNHCR about issues concerning refugees in Malaysia.

Burma: Tourism

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken to reduce the number of British tourists visiting Burma.

Ian McCartney: My right. hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated in January 2005 that anyone who may be thinking of visiting Burma on holiday should consider carefully whether by their actions they are helping to support the regime.
	The country profile for Burma on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) website draws attention to our position and the views of Aung San Suu Kyi on tourism. The FCO Travel Advice on Burma includes a link to the country profile so that those thinking of travelling to Burma will be aware of this.
	The FCO's country profile on Burma can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?=pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=l018965307901.
	The FCO's Travel Advice on Burma can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c-Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618387126.

Burma: Tourism

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the security risks to  (a) British tourists and  (b) Burmese citizens if such tourists engage local people in political discussions in Burma; and what advice her Department gives to British citizens on this issue.

Ian McCartney: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Travel Advice for Burma advises that
	"there are stringent restrictions on freedom of speech, movement, religion, and political activity. Foreign nationals criticising the regime in public are liable to arrest or imprisonment".
	The FCO's Travel Advice on Burma can be found at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618387126.

Burma: Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Burma will be taking part in negotiations regarding a free trade area between the EU and ASEAN.

Ian McCartney: The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries as a bloc agreed to enter into negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on 4 May. It is for the ASEAN states to decide how they are to be represented at the negotiations. The mandate to negotiate the FTA was agreed by the EU at the 23 April General Affairs and External Relations Council. The UK and like-minded member states were instrumental in securing language within the council conclusions and the mandate, which will have the effect of excluding Burma from the EU/ASEAN FTA. Burma will not benefit from the proposed EU-ASEAN FTA under its current regime.

Iran: Nuclear Fuels

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the talks between the EU High Representative Javier Solana and Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 11 June 2007
	Dr. Solana met Dr. Larijani on 31 May for talks in Madrid. Iran continues to give no indication that it is willing to comply with its international obligations and suspend all enrichment-related, reprocessing and heavy-water related activities, as the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Dr ElBaradei, reported on 23 May. The matter will therefore return to the UN Security Council who will consider further measures on Iran.

Iran: Occupied Palestinian Territories

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment has been made of the role of Iran in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We have longstanding concerns that groups seeking to undermine the Middle East peace process through violence draw support from inside Iran. In the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran continues to support Palestinian rejectionist groups including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which continues to undermine the peace process. Iran also provides ideological and financial support to Hamas. Iran also opposes a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
	We support the EU presidency statement of 5 June, which condemned the anti-Israeli comments made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We have called on Iran to renounce all links to groups using terror and violence, to distance itself clearly from all threats made towards Israel, to support a solution to the Palestinian question based on the principle of two states living side by side in peace and security, and to act responsibly in the region.

Nigeria: Elections

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Government of Nigeria on the conduct of the Nigerian presidential election in April 2007; if she will press for fresh elections to be held; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary expressed deep concern about serious flaws in the conduct of the Nigerian elections in her public statement of 23 April.
	Our High Commissioner in Abuja raised these concerns in meetings with President Obasanjo and the then President-elect, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, shortly after the elections in April. My noble Friend the Leader of the House of Lords, right hon. Baroness Amos, also made our disappointment clear to President Obasanjo when she saw him in Nigeria on 28 April. The elections were among the issues that my noble Friend Baroness Royall of Blaisdon discussed with President Yar'Adua when she represented the Government at the President's inauguration on 29 May.
	In his inaugural address President Yar'Adua acknowledged there had been shortcomings in the elections and urged anyone aggrieved to pursue the established legal avenues of redress. He also announced that he would set up a panel to examine the electoral process to ensure that standards were raised.
	We have not called for the presidential elections to be re-run. We have urged aggrieved parties who wish to challenge the results to do so peacefully, through the appropriate electoral tribunals.
	We will continue to watch closely how the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigerian Government respond to the concerns and issues raised by Nigerian citizens and international observers.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement of 23 April is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1176969243828&year=2007&month=2007-04-01

North Korea: Asylum

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will press China to meet its obligations relating to the refugee status of those North Koreans seeking asylum.

Ian McCartney: We take every opportunity to urge China to respect international norms in their treatment of North Koreans who escape into China. We continue to have concerns about repatriation of refugees to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and reports of their subsequent ill-treatment by the North Korean authorities.

Saudi Arabia: Religious Buildings

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to Saudi Arabia on the funding of new and existing mosques in the UK; and what reports she has received on the levels of such funding received  (a) from Saudi Arabia and  (b) other countries in each of the last three years.

Kim Howells: I have made no representations to the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding funding of new or existing mosques in the UK.
	A comprehensive response to the second part of the question would necessitate our conducting an investigation, drawing information from a wide range of diplomatic posts. This would take a long time and incur disproportionate cost. However, initial inquiries with our main diplomatic posts in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh have shown that over the period in question no information on this subject has been received.

Somalia: Human Rights

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on  (a) the human rights situation and  (b) compliance with humanitarian law in the last month in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: We are concerned about the human rights situation in Somalia. In his report to the UN Security Council on 21 May, UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator John Holmes spoke of
	"severe breaches of international humanitarian law during the recent fighting, with indiscriminate use of massive force in civilian areas, apparently by all sides".
	He also spoke of major human rights violations, including abductions and unlawful killings; and concerns over the apparent arbitrary detention, deportation, and disappearance of individuals.
	We condemn human rights violations wherever they arise. All parties in Somalia are aware of our stance on this issue.

Somalia: Peace Keeping Operations

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to encourage the deployment of an international peace-keeping force in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: The UK has been very active in helping to deploy an international peace-keeping force in Somalia.
	The UK sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1744, which was adopted unanimously on 20 February and which authorised the African Union (AU) Mission for Somalia (AMISOM). The UK has supported the Ugandan contingent with £1.3 million, and has offered financial assistance to other troop contributing countries and to the AU planning cell in Addis Ababa. We strongly supported the EU funding of €15 million for AMISOM. We have also called on other potential donors to consider how they might assist troop contributing countries.
	We also support plans for greater UN involvement in Somalia. At the meeting of the International Contact Group on Somalia in London on 6 June, the Group called on the UN to devise plans for a follow-on UN mission.

Somalia: Politics and Government

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has held with other EU and NATO member states on the security situation in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: We are discussing the grave security situation in Somalia on a regular basis with a range of EU, NATO and other international partners.
	The UK hosted the International Contact Group (ICG) on Somalia on 6 June, I will send my hon. Friend a copy of the ICG communique following this meeting and place copies in the Library if the House. At this meeting, we and international partners recognised the relative improvement in security in and around Mogadishu but expressed serious concern about continued sporadic violence. Within the EU, Somalia was discussed most recently by Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 23 April and subsequently by senior officials.

Timor-Leste: Elections

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the recent reports from the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste on the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Timor-Leste.

Ian McCartney: The reports of the UN Integrated Mission to Timor-Leste (UNMIT) show that the East Timorese presidential elections were concluded last month in a democratic and peaceful manner. This was facilitated by the effective security arrangements which exist between the Government of East Timor, UNMIT and the international security forces. UNMIT has indicated that the 30 June parliamentary elections will be a more complex process, but the conduct of the presidential elections is encouraging. We welcome the fact that the 16 competing parties have signed both an electoral code of conduct and a political party accord, committing themselves to due process in the elections and democratic principles of governance after them.

Uzbekistan: Human Rights

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions  (a) she and  (b) diplomatic and consular staff have had with representatives of the Uzbek Government on the human rights situation in Uzbekistan.

Geoff Hoon: We remain seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and closely monitor the situation there, with our EU partners. The first session of the EU-Uzbekistan Human Rights Dialogue took place in May. At that session, the EU discussed a range of human rights issues with senior representatives of the Uzbek Government. We hope that this dialogue will lead to constructive co-operation in areas of concern on human rights. EU Special Representative to Central Asia, Pierre Morel, visited Uzbekistan in May and raised human rights concerns with the Uzbek Government.
	Our Ambassador in Tashkent, Iain Kelly, discussed UK concerns on human rights in Uzbekistan with both Foreign Minister Norov during his introductory meeting on 5 June and with President Karimov, during the presentation of his credentials on 8 June.

Uzbekistan: Children

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will hold discussions with representatives of the Uzbek Government on child labour on cotton fields in Uzbekistan; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We closely monitor a range of human rights issues in Uzbekistan, including the rights of the child, with our partners in the EU and in the international community. The International Labour Organisation works on the issue of child labour in the cotton industry, which is deeply entrenched, and a sensitive issue in Uzbekistan. It affects education, migration and the process of democratisation.
	The rights of the child are among the human rights issues covered by the EU-Uzbekistan Human Rights Dialogue which began in May. At the last session of the EU-Uzbekistan Sub-Committee on Justice and Home Affairs, in May, the EU delegation encouraged the Uzbek authorities to ratify the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children.
	In 2006 the UN Committee for the Rights of the Child reviewed the National Report of Uzbekistan on Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and issued recommendations to the Uzbek authorities e.g. on adopting legislation and ratifying international conventions. Committee members put questions to the Uzbek delegation including on the issue of child labour in the cotton fields. The Uzbek authorities are preparing new legislation, including a draft law on childrens' rights which we hope will address the Committee's concerns.
	We will continue, bilaterally, with the EU and through the international community, to raise a range of human rights concerns with the Uzbek authorities, and to support efforts to improve the human rights situation in the country.

Uzbekistan: Forced Labour

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking to monitor the enforcement by the Uzbek Government of the International Labour Organisation's Convention on the Abolition of Forced Labour.

Geoff Hoon: As a permanent member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Governing Body, the UK actively promotes and encourages all member states to ratify and implement the ILO core conventions which cover the elimination of the forced labour, child labour, discrimination in employment and the observance of trade union rights.
	The UK also participates fully in the discussions of the ILO Conference Committee on the application of standards which each year discusses a selection of individual cases of member state compliance with various ILO conventions in detail.
	Such discussions are based on reports submitted under Article 22 of the Constitution of the ILO which requires member sates to regularly report on conventions they have ratified. Uzbekistan has ratified both of the ILO forced labour conventions (29 and 105). The ILO's Committee of Experts, which examines member states reports, has asked the Uzbek Government to make every effort to comply with its constitutional obligations and reminded the Uzbek Government that the ILO can provide technical assistance to help to prepare the annual written reports which are a requirement of membership.
	This year the committee noted with regret that Uzbekistan was among those member states which had supplied no reports on ratified conventions for the past two or more years; and that because Uzbekistan was among those governments which were not represented at the conference, they were unable to participate in the committee's examination of the cases relating to them.

Venezuela: Television

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the recent closure of state television stations by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.

Geoff Hoon: Along with EU partners, the UK has been closely monitoring recent events in Venezuela. We are concerned at the Venezuelan government's decision not to renew the broadcasting licence for the private media organisation RCTV. The UK strongly supported the EU's statement of 31 May, which noted with concern the Venezuelan government's decision, and recalled the promises made by the Venezuelan authorities to hold an open competition for the successor licence.
	With EU partners, we will continue to monitor the situation closely, including on Venezuela's upholding of the fundamental democratic principles of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

HEALTH

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what value of annual private finance initiative payments by her Department was classified as  (a) identifiable and  (b) non-identifiable in each of the last five years, broken down by project.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 7 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 648-652W.
	All payments made under private finance initiative (PFI) schemes are identifiable. Prior to a PFI contract being signed the profile of unitary charge payments is agreed between the contractor and the public sector, subject to the operation of the payment mechanism.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure value for money in the tendering process for private finance initiative contracts.

Andy Burnham: National health service trusts must follow European Union procurement regulations under which private finance initiative (PFI) contracts are always awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender overall to the NHS, following a competitive bidding process. New EU regulations to decide the most economically advantageous bid, specifically applying to complex contracts such as PFI and other public private partnership (PPPs), were implemented in the United Kingdom from 1 February 2007 (known as the competitive dialogue procedure, succeeding the previous negotiated procedure). The Department is currently trialling this new process by shortlisting up to three bidders from which final priced bids will be invited from no less than two. In recognition of the additional work now required on the part of bidders to achieve full commercial and price certainty whilst still at this competitive stage, the EU legislation has specifically introduced a discretion to pay bid costs with the aim of ensuring that the costs of bidding are no greater then they would have been under the negotiated procedure.

Departments: Private Finance Initiative

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much has been spent on  (a) the establishment and  (b) the running of the Private Finance Unit in her Department;
	(2)  what the functions of the Private Finance Unit in her Department are; and how its performance is assessed;
	(3)  how many staff work in the Private Finance Unit in her Department.

Andy Burnham: The Department's Private Finance Unit (PFU) are a group of specialists contracted to work for the Department. They include lawyers, financiers, bankers, accountants and technical staff and staff on secondment from the national health service. They report to the Department's Director of Finance-Investment, a civil servant.
	No costs were specifically incurred in setting up the PFU, who occupy space in the Department's buildings. Their cost in 2006-07 was just over £2.4 million inclusive of salaries, travel costs, subsidence etcetera.
	The function of the PFU is to offer expert advice to NHS trusts, or to Department's Ministers and officials on all commercial aspects of the private finance initiative and the NHS local improvement finance trust (LIFT) contracts: the provision of loans to foundation trusts; the operation of NHS Shared Business Services Ltd, the joint venture that offers financial and accounting services to the NHS; and operational and commercial matters in a number of arms length bodies.
	The PFU works alongside the Department's officials and its performance is monitored by the director of finance.
	Currently, 19 staff work in the PFU.

Harwich Hospital

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the delay in providing the expected range of NHS medical services at the new Harwich hospital; and when the full range of services will be available.

Andy Burnham: I am advised by North Essex primary care trust that there has been a delay in making available the full range of services planned at Harwich hospital and that this issue is being addressed.

Health Services

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the Specialised Services National Definitions are planned to be updated;
	(2)  whether changes to the Specialised Services National Definitions set are to be subject to public consultation; and if she will take steps to ensure that patient representative groups are consulted on the changes.

Andy Burnham: A project has started to review the Specialised Services National Definitions Set, under the auspices of the newly constituted national specialised commissioning group hosted by NHS London. The initial phase of the project will cover those eight service areas which, under Payment by Results, attract a national tariff specialist top-up. As part of consultation, draft versions of the updated definitions will be circulated for comment to the wider stakeholder community, including patients' groups.

Health Services: Industrial Health and Safety

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on the closure of  (a) hospital beds and  (b) other services by primary care trusts on health and safety grounds.

Andy Burnham: This is a matter for local national health service organisations. However, the Department has issued guidance under section 10.1.6 of the Overview and Scrutiny of Health Guidance, published in July 2003, which states that NHS organisations can temporarily stop services without consultation, if they believe there is a risk to the safety and welfare of patients.

Hospitals: Transport

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of changes to charges on  (a) the use of and  (b) the willingness of volunteers to operate hospital transport services.

Andy Burnham: Non-emergency patient transport services should be provided, free of charge, to patients who have a medical need for transport. The local national health service may provide other transport services, and may charge for the provision of those services. However, decisions on provision, and on charges, are a local matter.
	The hospital travel costs scheme, operating under the NHS low income scheme, provides financial assistance to NHS patients who do not have a medical need for ambulance transport, but who require assistance in meeting the cost of travel to and from their care.
	No assessment has been made by the Department of the use of voluntary drivers. Any assessment of the impact of any change to the operation of voluntary car schemes would be for the local NHS to make.

Hospitals: Transport

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the take-up of the Hospital Travel Cost scheme in  (a) England,  (b) the South West and  (c) Devon.

Andy Burnham: The Department gathers information on the number of postal claims only, made in England under the Hospital Travel Costs scheme, as detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Hospital fares—annual number of refunds authorised 
			 2004-05 17,652 
			 2005-06 18,138 
			 2006-07 13,018 
		
	
	This information is not available by region.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average hospital waiting times were in  (a) Taunton Deane primary care trust area,  (b) Somerset and  (c) England in each of the last 10 years, broken down by specialty function.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 11 June 2007
	The figures are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Commissioner based median in-patient waiting times for the Somerset area 
			  As at March each year 
			   Median waiting time (weeks) at month end 
			  Organisation  Somerset health authority  Taunton Deane PCT  Somerset PCT 
			  Specialty  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 All specialties 12.5 13.6 12.6 13.9 13.5 15.6 10.6 10.1 7.8 6.0 5.1 
			 General surgery 12.3 14.6 11.5 12.9 12.1 14.4 8.7 8.4 8.0 7.6 4.5 
			 Urology 9.4 9.1 8.1 8.5 9.1 9.6 7.5 7.7 4.5 3.5 3.2 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 14.2 16.3 15.8 18.2 19.0 19.3 13.7 12.7 9.6 6.9 6.4 
			 ENT 11.9 13.9 15.9 20.8 17.9 20.3 8.0 8.7 6.6 4.9 4.8 
			 Ophthalmology 18.2 20.9 19.1 15.0 12.5 15.6 10.9 9.4 7.4 4.8 3.8 
			 Oral surgery 10.2 9.5 7.6 8.2 9.5 9.7 9.2 8.7 7.9 3.7 5.2 
			 Neurosurgery n/a 10.3 n/a 22.6 17.8 17.4 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Plastic surgery 14.7 16.2 16.4 19.6 18.6 19.3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 7.8 
			 Cardiothoracic surgery 17.3 14.3 14.1 15.8 20.2 13.2 n/a n/a n/a n/a 6.0 
			 Anaesthetics n/a 7.1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 General medicine 7.5 8.6 7.9 11.1 12.2 11.7 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Gastroenterology 7.1 7.3 9.6 7.1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Cardiology 12.0 10.3 9.3 18.2 19.5 22.2 n/a 9.0 5.9 5.0 5.2 
			 Dermatology n/a n/a 8.8 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 4.4 
			 Neurology 9.2 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Gynaecology 10.5 10.8 10.0 10.9 10.2 11.0 8.7 9.4 9.6 10.0 6.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Commissioner based median in-patient waiting times, national 
			  As at March each year 
			  National  Median waiting time (weeks) at month end 
			  Specialty  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 All specialties 13.2 14.9 12.9 12.9 12.6 12.7 11.9 10.2 8.5 7.3 6.2 
			 General surgery 13.1 15.2 12.4 12.5 12.1 12.5 11.6 10.1 8.6 7.5 6.0 
			 Urology 11.5 11.7 10.3 10.8 10.8 10.7 10.2 9.1 7.3 6.2 5.1 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 17.6 19.4 18.3 18.1 17.6 17.1 15.6 12.5 11.3 9.3 8.2 
			 ENT 14.1 16.4 15.3 13.4 13.2 13.5 12.4 10.7 9.1 7.8 6.6 
			 Ophthalmology 16.1 18.3 15.9 15.5 14.0 14.2 12.6 9.1 5.8 5.5 5.3 
			 Oral surgery 13.6 14.7 12.0 10.7 9.8 9.5 9.8 9.4 8.6 7.7 7.0 
			 Restorative dentistry 11.8 12.9 10.8 10.0 10.5 10.4 8.9 9.5 6.8 5.0 2.6 
			 Paediatric dentistry 10.8 9.8 8.5 10.6 10.2 9.1 10.6 9.3 9.8 8.5 6.2 
			 Orthodontics 14.2 11.6 14.8 17.6 17.7 20.2 11.2 9.2 8.9 6.8 4.0 
			 Neurosurgery 14.7 15.0 13.1 16.6 15.9 16.3 13.0 11.2 10.6 8.6 6.9 
			 Plastic surgery 16.7 17.7 15.1 15.1 14.3 13.7 12.8 10.8 10.1 8.2 6.8 
			 Cardiothoracic surgery 17.6 18.5 19.4 20.7 18.6 16.1 10.9 9.5 6.0 5.6 5.0 
			 Paediatric surgery 12.6 12.5 12.3 12.1 11.5 11.3 10.8 9.4 8.2 6.6 6.1 
			 Accident and emergency 11.8 12.5 12.6 11.3 10.0 10.0 12.3 9.9 9.1 7.7 7.6 
			 Anaesthetics 10.2 10.3 9.7 9.4 10.1 9.4 9.1 8.3 7.8 6.7 6.5 
			 Pain Management n/a 10.1 9.4 8.7 8.8 9.0 8.9 9.2 6.8 n/a n/a 
			 General medicine 8.7 8,7 8.0 8.2 8.2 8.6 8.1 8.0 6.0 5.0 3.5 
			 Gastroenterology 7.9 8.6 7.8 8.2 8.3 8.2 8.3 7.8 5.5 4.3 2.8 
			 Endocrinology 10.4 10.3 8.5 8.5 7.9 7.9 7.5 7.1 3.8 3.8 3.6 
			 Haematology (clinical) 7.9 7.6 7.7 7.5 6.9 7.6 6.8 6.7 3.6 3.0 2.2 
			 Clinical Immunology and Allergy n/a 10.5 n/a n/a 12.8 14.9 11.1 12.8 22.9 n/a n/a 
			 Rehabilitation 10.8 10.9 12.4 13.7 10.3 9.3 10.7 7.6 6.8 9.2 6.3 
			 Palliative medicine 18.2 16.3 15.0 9.5 15.0 13.0 10.6 10.5 5.9 7.4 7.7 
			 Cardiology 12.5 12.1 11.2 11.6 11.6 10.9 11.0 9.4 7.7 6.1 4.7 
			 Dermatology 9.9 8.7 8.2 8.4 7.6 7.8 8.7 8.2 5.4 4.6 4.7 
			 Thoracic medicine 9.9 9.9 10.0 10.8 9.3 9.7 8.9 7.4 6.8 6.4 4.4 
			 Nephrology 9.8 8.6 9.0 9.5 8.2 8.7 7.9 7.9 4.4 5.9 3.3 
			 Medical oncology 7.9 7.4 7.1 6.7 7.1 42.9 7.0 6.9 2.8 2.7 1.9 
			 Neurology 9.2 9.6 9.1 9.7 9.2 11.1 10.6 8.5 6.7 5.1 4.8 
			 Rheumatology 9.0 8.9 8.7 8.5 9.1 8.5 7.6 7.5 4.6 4.0 3.8 
			 Paediatrics 9.0 8.8 9.0 8.0 9.8 9.2 8.4 7.7 6.3 4.0 4.3 
			 Paediatric neurology 10.3 10.6 8.8 12.2 12.2 12.6 9.2 7.9 7.9 8.1 5.1 
			 Geriatric medicine 7.4 7.6 7.5 7.6 7.2 7.2 7.6 7.4 6.9 4.3 4.4 
			 Dental Medicine Specialties 8.7 8.3 7.5 7.0 7.0 6.9 7.9 7.6 4.6 5.7 n/a 
			 Medical ophthalmology 14.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Gynaecology 10.9 11.9 11.0 10.8 10.1 10.2 9.9 9.2 7.8 6.8 5.9 
			 General Practice (non-maternity) 9.0 8.5 7.6 7.3 7.4 7.6 6.9 6.7 6.2 n/a n/a 
			 Mental handicap n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 5.5 n/a 
			 Mental illness 10.9 9.5 8.9 8.4 8.8 8.0 7.1 7.8 5.7 4.1 2.9 
			 Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 9.8 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Clinical oncology 6.7 6.7 6.6 6.7 6.6 6.7 6.7 6.8 2.5 2.5 1.5 
			 Radiology 7.8 8.2 9.4 9.0 24.2 18.9 9.9 8.7 5.9 4.0 3.7 
			 Chemical pathology 8.1 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 6.8 5.3 n/a 
			 Haematology 8.6 8.5 7.4 n/a n/a n/a 7.0 n/a 2.5 2.4 1.2 
			 Community medicine n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 8.6 n/a n/a 
			 Occupational medicine n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 10.2 n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Commissioner based median in-patient waiting times, PCTs now part of Somerset PCT (excluding Taunton Deane) 
			  As at March each year 
			   Somerset Coast PCT  Mendip PCT  South Somerset PCT 
			  Specialty  2003  2004  2005  2006  2003  2004  2005  2006  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 All specialties 11.4 9.9 7.9 6.3 13.2 11.7 11.2 7.4 9.6 8.8 7.0 6.1 
			 General surgery 10.1 8.1 7.0 5.8 10.6 10.5 11.2 6.3 7.9 7.9 5.4 4.8 
			 Urology 8.1 7.8 4.1 3.8 8.7 9.2 8.3 5.0 7.5 7.6 4.1 3.4 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 14.7 12.6 10.3 8.3 17.5 14.6 13.7 7.9 11.7 10.8 9.9 6.7 
			 ENT 9.3 9.5 8.6 6.0 11.3 11.7 12.1 10.2 7.5 7.0 5.9 8.2 
			 Ophthalmology 11.2 8.8 7.1 4.9 14.8 10.9 7.5 6.6 10.1 8.4 6.7 5.3 
			 Oral surgery 8.1 8.3 9.5 6.5 10.7 13.6 12.8 10.5 7.3 7.7 5.6 7.0 
			 Plastic surgery 20.0 13.8 n/a n/a 16.0 n/a 11.4 n/a 14.0 11.2 14.2 9.0 
			 Cardiothoracic surgery n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 10.5 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Cardiology 9.1 8.2 5.6 4.0 19.8 9.4 9.4 7.6 n/a 9.1 7.7 n/a 
			 Gynaecology 11.5 9.3 8.6 8.7 12.7 11.1 13.8 8.9 8.6 8.1 6.2 5.3 
			  Notes: 1. Prior to the financial year 2002-03 commissioners were organised into health authorities, with Somerset being the appropriate authority in this case. 2. In October 2006 Taunton Deane PCT, Somerset Coast PCT, South Somerset PCT and Mendip PCT merged to form Somerset PCT. The question specifically refers to Taunton Deane, however, the others are included for reference. 3. Statistically meaningful medians cannot be calculated for specialties with a total waiting list of less than 50. These cases will be marked n/a.  Source: Department of Health, QF01

Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust: Admissions

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions were cancelled for a non-clinical reason within seven days of the proposed date of admission by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last two years, broken down by hospital.

Andy Burnham: The information is not available as requested. Data is not collected at hospital level. The following data shows the number of operations cancelled at the last minute. Last minute is defined as on the day the patient was due to arrive, after the patient has arrived in hospital or on the day of the operation or surgery itself.
	2005-06: there were 825 operations cancelled at the last minute.
	2006-07: there were 788 operations cancelled at the last minute.

Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust: Waiting Lists

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of outpatients in  (a) the area covered by Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust and  (b) England waited less than 13 weeks for a hospital appointment in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The percentage of patients who were seen within 13 weeks, in each of the last five financial years are outlined in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of general practitioner referrals for first consultant led out-patient appointment seen within 13 weeks 
			  Financial year  Hull and East Yorkshire national health service trust  National 
			 2002-03 73.1 77.8 
			 2003-04 72.5 80.3 
			 2004-05 74.2 83.6 
			 2005-06 81.6 91.4 
			 2006-07 90.8 98.1 
			  Source:  Department of Health, QM08s

Human Embryo Experiments

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons she proposes that sex selection for non-medical reasons will not be permitted under Clause 18 and Schedule 2 of the draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill; and what the evidential basis is for the proposal.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 12 June 2007
	The Government stated in the White Paper "Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: Proposals for revised legislation (including the establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos)", published in December 2006, that it is persuaded that sex selection for non-medical reasons within treatment services should be prohibited(1).
	Such a provision, as envisaged by clause 18 and schedule 2 of the draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill would, in effect, put existing restrictions applicable to non-medical sex selection onto a statutory footing. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's (HFEA) code of practice makes clear that licensed centres should not, for social reasons, (a) select embryos of a particular sex, or (b) separate sperm samples, or use sperm samples which have been separated, for the purpose of sex selection(2).
	Allowing sex selection for non-medical reasons found very little support in responses to the Department of Health's consultation on the review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, which ran from 16 August to 25 November 2005.
	The Government also took into consideration the recommendations resulting from the HFEA's extensive review of sex selection and options for regulation conducted in 2002-03, which revealed widespread public opposition to non-medical sex selection.
	As stated in the White Paper, the Government's position reflects, in part, the strength of public opinion on this matter and also takes account of the possible effects—including internationally—on cultures where there are marked preferences for male children.
	Permitting sex selection for family-balancing reasons would also run the risk of opening the door to sex selection for other non-medical reasons.
	(1) Cm 6989, section 2.47.
	(2) Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, code of practice, 7th edition, section G.8.7.

Injuries: Offensive Weapons

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many knife wound injuries were treated in hospitals in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the number of finished admission episodes with a cause code for contact with a knife, sword or dagger for acute trusts in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997-98 to 2005-06.
	
		
			   Suffolk  Bedfordshire  Cambridgeshire  Essex  Hertfordshire  Norfolk 
			 2005-06 21 15 86 363 267 78 
			 2004-05 36 8 90 366 246 87 
			 2003-04 28 (1)— 106 334 258 83 
			 2002-03 30 (1)— 93 325 252 93 
			 2001-02 30 7 87 320 234 70 
			 2000-01 41 6 83 292 219 94 
			 1999-2000 30 (1)— 75 313 191 85 
			 1998-99 33 8 68 255 155 81 
			 1997-98 23 7 87 262 176 83 
			 (1) Due to reasons of confidentiality, low numbers (figures between one and five) have been suppressed.  Notes: 1. Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Cause code: The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. 3. Data quality: Hospital episode statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 4.Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. 5. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

Mentally Ill: Community Care

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the merits of bringing forward amendments to the Mental Health Bill to enable a patient issued with a community treatment order to appeal against restrictions imposed by that order.

Rosie Winterton: The amendments to which my hon. Friend refers were debated at the tenth sitting of the Public Bill Committee on the Mental Health Bill on the 10 May 2007, when I set out the Government's views on this matter. The Government have also replied fully to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on this point.
	As I outlined in Committee, given the nature of the conditions and the involvement of patients in setting the conditions for supervised community treatment, the Government do not believe that a third party appeals process would be appropriate.

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency: Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff funded by the public purse in the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency are classified as people without posts.

Andy Burnham: There are three staff in the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency who are classified as people without posts. All three are returning from long-term secondments and in formal redeployment.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been to date of the negotiation, tendering and legal requirements for Wave 2 independent sector treatment centres.

Andy Burnham: The Phase 2 independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme was first announced in October 2004. The total cost of the procurement at the end of March 2007 was approximately £72 million. This figure includes all assessment, scoping, procurement and associated management, professional advisory and support costs.
	It is expected that the procurement costs as a percentage of the total investment in Phase 2 will be low and will compare favourably with other Government procurement programmes.

NHS: Drugs

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, column 606W, on NHS: drugs, 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the role of  (a) general practitioners and  (b) pharmacists in over-prescribing medicines;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to reduce the amount of unused medicines;
	(3)  what guidance her Department has issued to general practitioners on over-prescribing of medicines;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the role of pharmaceutical companies in the over-prescribing of medicines;
	(5)  what assessment she has made of the responsibility of patients in the over-prescribing of medicines.

Caroline Flint: The Department is concerned about the amount of unused medicines and supports a range of initiatives to help patients get the most from their medicines, while at the same time minimising the amount of unwanted medicines returned to pharmacies.
	The new contractual framework for community pharmacy includes repeat dispensing as an essential service, which means that all community pharmacies in England must be in a position to dispense a repeatable prescription if presented with one. This service together with medicines use reviews, an advanced service provided by accredited pharmacists in premises that have been accredited, should both help to reduce the amount of medicines wasted.
	The National Audit Office in their recently published report "Prescribing costs in primary care" focused on the potential savings that could be achieved by reducing the amount of medicines wasted. It has recommended that the Department conduct some research to estimate the scale of medicines wastage, and provide better information on why patients do not take their medicines. This is a complex area and we intend to commission research to establish the extent of medicines waste and the complex and varied reasons for it. This may include the part played by patients and the pharmaceutical industry. We have not issued any guidance on over-prescribing.

NHS: Finance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what surpluses or deficits were generated by NHS services in each strategic health authority area in 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: The NHS financial performance report for quarter four of 2006-07 was published on 6 June. Copies are available in the Library.

NHS: Reorganisation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library a copy of Sir Ian Carruthers' report on limiting the damaging effects of organisational change.

Andy Burnham: Sir Ian was asked by the chief executive of the national health service (David Nicholson), to conduct a review of how the NHS managed reconfigurations. Far from damaging effects, it was clear that when managed and delivered well, reconfigurations have a positive effect on patient care. A copy of the report, setting out his findings, has now been placed in the Library.

NHS: Welsh Language

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much English NHS trusts spent on Welsh translation services in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: There is currently no mechanism for recording this information centrally within the Department and to attempt to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Primary Care Trusts: Finance

David Heyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Spearhead funding has been allocated to  (a) Oldham primary care trust and  (b) Tameside and Glossop primary care trust; if she will provide a breakdown of how such funding has been spent; and what assessment she has made of the effect of such funding on health inequalities in the areas served by the primary care trusts.

Caroline Flint: There is no funding stream that exclusively supports the Spearhead initiative.
	However, the 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) separately identify £211 million in 2006-07 and £342 million in 2007-08, around half of the £1 billion promised, to support implementation of the "Choosing Health" White Paper initiatives. The funding has been targeted on the most deprived areas, including PCTs in spearhead areas.
	The following table shows the White Paper funding separately identified in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations for Oldham PCT and Tameside and Glossop PCT.
	
		
			  £000 
			   S eparately identified White Paper funding 
			  Organisation name  2006-07  2007-08  Total  2006-08 
			 Oldham PCT 1,618 1,949 3,567 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 1,598 1,925 3,523 
		
	
	The White Paper funding is not ring-fenced within the PCT revenue allocations, as it is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations.
	Revenue allocations are made on the basis of a weighted-capitation formula. The aim of the formula is to provide equal access to services for equal need, and to reduce health inequalities.
	The following table sets out the 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations to Oldham PCT and Tameside and Glossop PCT.
	
		
			   A llocation  (£ million)  Two year increase 
			  Organisation name  2006-07  2007-08  £ million  Percentage 
			 Oldham PCT 304.1 332.6 54.7 19.7 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 308.6 337.3 55.3 19.6 
		
	
	No assessment has been made on the impact of local expenditure on health inequalities outcomes.

Revascularisation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2219W, on revascularisation, if she will publish the results of the cardiac stock-take which reviewed capacity in different parts of London and the South-East.

Rosie Winterton: 10 strategic health authorities across London and the south east conducted a stock-take of capacity for that area in 2005-06. This work was supported by the Department's vascular programme. The results from the stock-take were made available to all of the participating authorities in March 2006. It is now a year since the work was completed and there are no plans for formal publication. A compact disc providing details of the stock-take, the final report and supporting mapping and data analysis is available to interested bodies within the national health service.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the latest guidelines are for cemetery memorial inspections; and when they were last issued.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 4 June 2007
	There are a number of industry produced guidelines available the latest of which is the British Standard 8415, 'Specifications for monuments within burial grounds', published in 2005.

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the minimum technical specifications are for a gravestone topple tester; and what the qualifications are for the  (a) operative and  (b) data recorder.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not consider the risk posed by toppling gravestones to be a priority as compared with other workplace risks. Therefore, HSE has not produced any guidelines on the minimum technical specifications for topple testers. However, the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 require that a risk assessment is undertaken by a competent person to identify any measures needed to control the risks caused by a workplace hazard. In undertaking an assessment of the stability of gravestones the competent person will need to apply an appropriate test.

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many registered inspectors of gravestones and memorials there are in each of the English regions.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive are not aware of any national scheme specifically for the registration of inspectors of gravestones and memorials.

Child Support Agency: Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at the Child Support Agency in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost was of those bonuses in each year.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Jos Joures, dated 13 June 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is out of the country, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
	.
	The table below contains the number and total of bonus payments awarded to senior civil servants in the Agency since 2001-02. The Agency offers bonuses to Senior Civil Servants as part of performance related pay deals, based on year long performance measures. Bonuses are also offered to Senior Civil Servants in recognition of considerable additional work. There is no statutory requirement to keep accounting records longer than 6 years. I am therefore unable to supply information prior to 2001/02 financial year.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Number of bonuses awarded  Total bonus payments 
			 2001-02 4 13,192 
			 2002-03 7 47,000 
			 2003-04 7 38,120 
			 2004-05 10 38,550 
			 2005-06 11 83,024 
		
	
	The increase in the size of average bonuses in 2005-06 compared with 2004-05 reflects the substantially improved performance of the Agency over that period. In particular, comparing 2005-06 with 2004-05:
	55,000 more children were in receipt of maintenance;
	There were 28,000 fewer uncleared cases;
	Over 20,000 more of the poorest parents with care were receiving the Child Maintenance Premium, with payments up by £670,000 every month;
	Accuracy increased from 75% to 81% on the scheme, and from 78% to 84% on the old scheme; and
	Client Service in the Agency improved substantially with 91% of calls to the Agency answered, up from 84%, and a 40% reduction in the average time taken to answer calls.
	These performance improvements laid a solid foundation for the launch of the Operational Improvement Plan in April 2006, and were a vital component of the improved, and improving, service offered by the Agency today.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency claimants in Bassetlaw are awaiting their first payment of maintenance.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 13 June 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency Claimants in Bassetlaw are awaiting their first payment of maintenance.
	At the end of March 2007, there were 280 cases on the new computer system in Bassetlaw, which had a positive liability and the Parent/Person with care was awaiting the first payment. This figure does not include maintenance direct cases.
	There are an additional 290 applications that are currently being processed. It is not possible to say at present how many of these will result in a positive liability to pay maintenance.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of child maintenance payments collected by the Child Support Agency was made up of deductions from earnings orders in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Jos Joures, dated 13 June 2007:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what percentage of child maintenance payments collected by the Child Support Agency was made up through deductions from earnings orders in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.
	Of the cases with a positive maintenance outcome in the quarter ending March 2006, 25% had Deduction from Earnings Orders/Requests as the method of collection at the end of the period. At the end of March 2007, the equivalent figure was 23%.
	A monthly breakdown from April 2005 onwards is presented in the attached table.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  Deduction from earnings orders/requests as a percentage of cases with a positive maintenance outcome 
			  Quarter ending  Cases with positive maintenance outcome  Percentage of which were deduction from earnings orders/requests at end of quarter 
			 April 2005 387,700 25 
			 May 2005 390,400 25 
			 June 2005 393,400 25 
			 July 2005 396,900 25 
			 August 2005 399,800 25 
			 September 2005 402,000 25 
			 October 2005 405,400 25 
			 November 2005 409,700 25 
			 December 2005 413,200 25 
			 January 2006 416,200 25 
			 February 2006 419,800 25 
			 March 2006 428,900 25 
			 April 2006 434,400 24 
			 May 2006 439,900 24 
			 June 2006 444,000 24 
			 July 2006 450,900 24 
			 August 2006 453,700 24 
			 September 2006 455,000 24 
			 October 2006 455,900 24 
			 November 2006 457,800 24 
			 December 2006 457,400 23 
			 January 2007 455,000 24 
			 February 2007 458,400 24 
			 March 2007 466,200 23 
			  Notes: 1. Cases are counted as having a positive maintenance outcome if the Agency has received a payment via the collection service during the quarter or have a maintenance direct agreement in place, since we assume that non resident parents in maintenance direct cases are making payments. Cases are classed as maintenance direct if this is their status at the end of the quarter. 2. The table includes deduction from earnings orders (DEOs) and deduction from earnings request (DERs). DERs are the equivalent method of collection when the non-resident parent is a member of the Armed Forces. The method of collection is classed as being a Deduction from Earnings Order/Request if this is the preferred method of collection at the end of the month. 3. Volumes are rounded to the nearest hundred and percentages to the nearest whole percent.

Children: Maintenance

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Child Support Agency is able to initiate enforcement action to collect arrears in a case when there is a change of circumstances review taking place on the current liability.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 13 June 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Child Support Agency is able to initiate enforcement action to collect arrears in a case when there is a change of circumstances review taking place on the current liability.
	The Child Support Agency is able to initiate enforcement action to collect arrears in a case where there is a change of circumstances review taking place on the current liability.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Poverty

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of  (a) ethnic minority children and  (b) non-ethnic minority children are estimated to live below the poverty line.

Jim Murphy: The information requested is available in the Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2005-06 (revised), table 4.5 on page 46. This is available in the House of Commons Library.

Crisis Loans

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the timescale is for dealing with applications for crisis loans;
	(2)  how many people have been waiting for over two weeks for a decision following their application for a crisis loan;
	(3)  how many applications for a crisis loan remained to be dealt with as at 24 May 2007; and what the  (a) longest and  (b) average time taken to deal with an application for a crisis loan was in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, 13 June 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions a bout the time taken to process applications for crisis loans. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The clearance time for an individual crisis loan is measured in whole working days from the date the application is received until the date the decision is taken on whether to make a loan offer, plus, if a loan offer is made, the number of whole working days between receiving the applicant's reply to the offer and the recording of that reply. The minimum clearance time recorded for an individual application is one day, even if the application is cleared immediately.
	The clearance time for an individual crisis loan is two days, but applications for living expenses must be dealt with on the same day as the application is made.
	For 2006-067, 9,400 crisis loan applications in Great Britain took longer than two weeks to clear, representing 0.7 per cent. of all crisis loan applications cleared.
	As of 30 April, there are 9,700 applications waiting for a decision. I am unable to provide a figure for the number of outstanding applications on 24 may 2007, as this data is counted as a snapshot figure at the end of each month.
	Information on the longest time taken to deal with a crisis loan application is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The average actual clearance times (ACCT) for crisis loan applications in each of the last five years can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  National crisis loan AACT in days 
			   Number 
			 2002-03 1.2 
			 2003-04 1.3 
			 2004-05 1.3 
			 2005-06 1.4 
			 2006-07 1.5 
			  Source: DWP social fund policy, budget and management information system.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of leasing buildings and office space was for  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is in the following table.
	In April 1998, in a private finance initiative agreement, the Department for Social Security disposed of its property and assigned its leases to Trillium (now Land Securities Trillium) and commenced payment to Trillium of a monthly facility price for its occupation of the property and for facilities management services, such as maintenance and security. The costs shown include this facility price, together with utilities standing charges and business rates.
	In December 2003, the PFI agreement was extended to incorporate former Employment Service properties. The costs shown also include equivalent Employment Service property costs prior to December 2003.
	The costs shown include payments for other Government Departments.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Department  Agencies 
			 2002-03 106.8 421.2 
			 2003-04 114.1 460.5 
			 2004-05 99.2 510.4 
			 2005-06 113.6 549.1 
			 2006-07 123.8 513.5 
		
	
	Costs for the Health and Safety Executive and the Rent Service are excluded, as the Commercial and Estates Directorate does not hold this information. The Appeals Service is also excluded after April 2006, when, as the Tribunal Service, it became part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Departments: Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent by his Department on public relations in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The Department runs a number of promotional campaigns to increase awareness of people's rights and responsibilities or changes to legislation. PR agencies are taken on where messages are most effectively promoted by supplementing 'paid-for' advertising (press/TV/radio) with public relations activity.
	The following table detail spend on PR campaigns run by the Department in each of the last five financial years:
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend (£000) 
			 2006-07 1,061 
			 2005-06 1,206 
			 2004-05 1,435 
			 2003-04 1,412 
			 2002-03 689

Executive Agencies

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of the executive agencies of his Department have regional offices outside London.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions has five executive agencies, as follows:
	Child Support Agency;
	Disability and Carers Service;
	Jobcentre Plus;
	The Pension Service;
	The Rent Service.
	The Department's estate consists of approximately 1,250 buildings, the majority of which are occupied wholly or in part by executive agencies. All of the Department's executive agencies have offices outside London.

Housing Benefit: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 25 years or under claimed housing benefit in each year for which figures are available since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit (HB) recipients by age: Great Britain, May 1997 to May 2004 
			   Aged 25 and under 
			 May 1997 467,000 
			 May 1998 396,000 
			 May 1999 374,000 
			 May 2000 326,000 
			 May 2001 302,000 
			 May 2002 291,000 
			 May 2003 294,000 
			 May 2004 325,000 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. 2. Figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 4. Housing benefit figures exclude extended payment cases.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 1997 to May 2004.

Incapacity Benefit: Medical Examinations

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to publish the results of the second round of testing of the revised personal capability assessment.

Jim Murphy: The technical working group carrying out the review of the personal capability assessment carried out an early and limited evaluation, which was published in February 2007. The full and extensive evaluation of the second round of testing is currently under way and we expect to publish the results this summer when analysis is completed.

Industrial Accidents: Construction

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of whether the target of reducing fatalities in the construction industry by June 2010 to half of their 1990 levels will be met.

Anne McGuire: These targets do not relate to 1990 levels. They were set by the industry (not the Health and Safety Executive) at the 2001 Construction Summit to provide challenging targets for a reduction in accidents and ill-health by 2010.
	Both behavioural and statistical progress is reported to my Department by the Strategic Forum for Construction Health and Safety Task Group approximately every 18 months. I am expecting the 5th report from the forum soon.
	The 4th report showed that there have been encouraging developments in areas such as work force competence and that the industry is exceeding the Government's health and safety targets set in 2000 for all industries. However, the industry is failing to meet the target it set itself in 2001 for a reduction in fatal injuries and is not currently on track to meet its target for 2010.

Jobseekers Allowance: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex were registered for jobseeker's allowance in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants in Eastbourne local authority (LA) and East Sussex: April 1997 to April 2007, as at April each year 
			   Eastbourne LA  East Sussex 
			 1997 1,997 9,877 
			 1998 1,536 7,855 
			 1999 1,698 7,557 
			 2000 1,345 6,194 
			 2001 1,136 5,267 
			 2002 1,256 5,426 
			 2003 1,283 5,469 
			 2004 1,278 5,379 
			 2005 1,347 5,250 
			 2006 1,540 6,102 
			 2007 1,478 5,629 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are unrounded.  2. Figures include clerically held cases.   Source:  100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems.

LinkAge Plus Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1281W, on LinkAge Plus centres, how much of the LinkAge Plus budget has been spent to date.

James Purnell: £1,581,517 has been paid by DWP to local authorities in respect of invoices received relating to the period up to 30 April 2007.

LinkAge Plus Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1281W, on LinkAge Plus centres, how many elderly people the eight LinkAge Plus pilots are expected to assist.

James Purnell: LinkAge plus is testing out new and innovative methods of providing information and access to services to over 50's. It aims to join up services to existing clients and increase take-up through outreach work with isolated individuals. The evaluation will show the numbers as well as the range of people accessing services and in what ways as well as providing information on the cost effectiveness of LinkAge Plus. A report is due by March 2009.

LinkAge Plus Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1281W, on LinkAge Plus Centres, when the eight LinkAge Plus pilots will be completed.

James Purnell: The current LinkAge Plus pilots will end their funded activity by October 2008.

LinkAge Plus Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1281W, on LinkAge Plus centres, which areas his Department has identified for future LinkAge Plus centres.

James Purnell: The current LinkAge Plus pilots will end their funded activity by October 2008. The evaluation of the pilots will inform any subsequent developments. In the meantime emerging lessons will be shared widely with local authorities and other service providers in other areas of the country.

LinkAge Plus Centres

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1281W, on LinkAge Plus Centres, what evaluation of the eight LinkAge Plus pilots will be undertaken.

James Purnell: Warwick Business School have been commissioned to undertake an over-arching national evaluation of the LinkAge Plus pilots. The project brief is:
	To build a robust evidence base to support the case for joined up services in terms of delivering better outcomes for older people;
	To build an evidence base that supports the economic, as well as social, case for fully joined up/holistic services for older people;
	To test the limits of holistic working and;
	To build a body of good practice and lessons learned for other partnerships and communities so as to encourage wider application of the approach, beyond pilot sites.
	In addition local evaluators have been appointed by each pilot to test the success of the projects in local terms. Their evidence will contribute to the national evaluation. A series of thematic reports are proposed during the life of the projects with a final summary report scheduled for publication by March 2009.

New Deal for Partners

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of partners who would be eligible for the New Deal for Partners  (a) were claiming jobseeker's allowance and  (b) had been claiming jobseeker's allowance for more than five years in each month since 1997.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 7 June 2007
	The information requested is not available.

Pension Credit: Telephone Services

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Pension Credit application forms were requested  (a) on the Pensions Credit application form telephone number 0845 6060 265 and  (b) in total in each month since the service has been offered.

James Purnell: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) A total of 2,342,669 pension credit application forms have been requested from the pension credit application line, telephone number 0800 99 1234.
	 (b) The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pension credit application forms requested from the pension credit application line 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 January — 162,725 25,697 34,479 17,036 
			 February — 148,762 46,178 24,125 12,942 
			 March — 160,544 40,024 31,607 13,346 
			 April 6,530 107,936 21,843 17,914 — 
			 May 11,204 76,982 18,294 28,624 — 
			 June 27,905 82,457 21,922 18,829 — 
			 July 64,980 46,709 27,713 23,097 — 
			 August 84,844 28,501 31,609 25,193 — 
			 September 126,398 37,507 32,387 20,610 — 
			 October 218,859 23,237 33,791 20,965 — 
			 November 115,162 20,569 56,131 21,518 — 
			 December 74,157 21,107 19,557 10,463 — 
			  Source: Telephony centres operational reports from 2003 to date.

Remploy: Closures

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account was taken of the  (a) general condition and shape of,  (b) level of worklessness in,  (c) strength of manufacturing in and  (d) development of the service sectors of a local economy when deciding to close a Remploy factory.

Anne McGuire: No decisions have been made to close any factories. The Remploy board are consulting on their proposals following which they will finalise their plan and submit it to the Government later in the year for consideration.
	The Remploy board's proposals signal the next phase in the development of a five-year modernisation plan—a formal consultation with their trade unions and employees and a disability impact assessment as part of Remploy's Disability Equality Duty obligations.
	In drawing up the closure proposals, Remploy took into account the market for the product made at their factories, their likely ability to achieve acceptable losses per disabled employee in the future, the percentage of its cost which is covered by income from its customers and the local employment market. The proximity to another factory which was not closing was also considered.
	The Government encourage participation in the Remploy board's consultation process by contacting Bob Warner chief executive of Remploy on Tel: 02476 515810 or by writing to him at Remploy, Stonecourt, Siskin Drive, Coventry, CV3 4FJ.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people were  (a) charged with and  (b) found guilty of benefit fraud in each of the last 10 years in (i) each police force area and (ii) North West Cambridgeshire;
	(2)  how much was lost through benefit fraud in each of the last five years in  (a) each police force area and  (b) North West Cambridgeshire; and how much of that money has subsequently been recovered.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available broken down by police force areas or constituencies.

State Retirement Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will reach the age of 65 between 2024 and 2054 and die before becoming eligible to receive their state pension.

James Purnell: Although a small proportion of people who survive to 65 will die before reaching the new state pension age as proposed under the pension reforms, the proportion of those surviving to the new state pension age is still projected to be higher than the proportion who survive to state pension age now. Those retiring at current state pension age of 65 for men and 60 for women are estimated to constitute about 82 per cent. of their generation, but those retiring at 68 in 2055 are expected to be more than 88 per cent. of their generation.
	Over the 30 year period between the financial years 2024-25 and 2054-55, a total of 24,463,000 people are projected to reach age 65 in the UK. Of these, about 1.6 per cent. of the total (about 238,000 males and 163,000 females) would subsequently die before reaching the new state pension age.

Written Questions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to answer questions  (a) 111231,  (b) 111229,  (c) 111227,  (d) 111293,  (e) 111228,  (f) 111232,  (g) 111226 and  (h) 111233, on funding for the new deal programmes, tabled by the hon. Member for Fareham on 22 January 2007.

Jim Murphy: The hon. Member's questions have all been replied to.

TREASURY

Departments: Libraries

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many items there are in HM Treasury's library; what the cost of purchasing stock for the library was in each year since 1997; and how many staff were employed to work in the library in each year.

John Healey: HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office and their departmental agencies have had a shared library service since 1946. There are 15,472 items catalogued, including books, pamphlets, specialist periodicals and reports. Expenditure on purchasing stock since 2003-04 is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 186,070 
			 2004-05 161,582 
			 2005-06 117,562 
			 2006-07 148,030 
		
	
	Due to changes to the Treasury's accounting system, costs prior to 2003-04 could be identified only at disproportionate cost. Eight staff were employed to work in the library in 2006-07. Figures for individual previous years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Department of Health's  (a) expected and  (b) actual non-cash spending was in 2005-06.

Stephen Timms: Provisional non-cash spending estimates are published in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA). Updated non-cash outturn for 2005-06 was published in PESA 2007.

Equity

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulatory assessment the Financial Services Authority has made of Home Reversion Plans; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) published its assessment of the home reversion market in its consultation paper, "Regulation of Home Reversion and Home Purchase Plans" (April 2006), which is available at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Library/Policy/CP/2006/06_08.shtml
	In October 2006, the FSA announced the results of its consultation in its Policy Statement, which is available at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Library/Policy/policy/2006/06_12.shtml

Financial Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department has made in promoting wider access to financial advice in the workplace following the launch of its consultation Extending Employers' Freedoms in the 2006 Budget.

Edward Balls: Respondents to consultation on Extending Employers' Freedoms, suggested further changes to the financial promotion regime. We expect to consult on these proposals shortly. Following that we will make the necessary changes to the Financial Promotion Order.
	Earlier this year the Government published their long-term approach to financial capability. Our long-term aspiration is to ensure that all adults can have access to high-quality generic financial advice to help them to engage with their financial affairs. The study will report to HMT ministers at the end of this year.

Leasehold

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans there are to bring lifetime leases under the regulation of the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: There are no plans to bring lifetime leases within the scope of FSA regulation.
	The regulatory treatment of lifetime leases was addressed in the Government's response to the March 2006 consultation document, "Secondary legislation for the regulation of home reversion and home purchase plans". The Government response to that consultation is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./media/880/39/responses_homereversion_130906.pdf

National Insurance Contributions: Landlords

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of what the likely level of revenue would be if all non-corporate landlords were liable for class 4 national insurance contributions.

Edward Balls: holding answer 12 June 2007
	 Introducing a class 4 charge on rental income of non-corporate landlords would result in an estimated yield of around £175 million for 2007-08 in class 4 national insurance contributions. This figure is based on projections of the Survey of Personal Incomes for 2004-05 and excludes rents received under the rent-a-room scheme. The estimate does not allow for any behavioural effects.

Population: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mid-year estimates of population were for the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in each of the last five years; what the projection is for each of the next three years; and what estimate he has made of the impact of international migration on population change in the city.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 13 June 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning the population of the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in each of the last five years, what the projection is for each of the next three years and the impact of international migration in the population change in the city. I am replying in her absence. (141739)
	The mid-2001 to mid-2005 population estimates are shown in Table 1 with the Total International Migration component for the corresponding years, Estimates for mid-2006 will be published on 22 August 2007. The Total International Migration figures shown are produced for the express purpose of calculating the mid-year estimates.
	Table 2 shows the projected population from 2006 to 2010 for Newcastle-upon-Tyne with the Total International Migration assumption for each year. These figures are taken from the 2004-based subnational population projections published by ONS in October 2006 and are the most recent projections available. Please note that they are not therefore directly comparable with the 2005 mid year estimate in Table 1.
	ONS is making improvements this year to the methods used for distributing international migrants to local areas as part of its "Improving Migration and Population Statistics" work programme. Thus the figures quoted, both estimates and projections, will be subject to change in August and September 2007 respectively.
	
		
			  Table 1: Mid-2001 to mid-2005 population estimates and components of change for Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
			  Mid-year to mid-year  Population at start of period  Total annual change  Total net international migration component of population change  Other changes  Population at end of period 
			 2001-02 266,000 0 1,000 -2,000 266,000 
			 2002-03 266,000 1,000 2,000 -1,000 267,000 
			 2003-04 267,000 3,000 4,000 -1,000 269,000 
			 2004-05 269,000 7,000 8,000 -1,000 276,000 
			  Note: Data are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and thus may not add due to rounding.  Source: Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Mid-2006 to mid-2010 subnational population projections for Newcastle-upon-Tyne (2004 based) 
			  Mid-year to mid-year  Projected population at start of period  Total annual change  Total net international migration assumption  Other changes  Projected population at end of period 
			 2005-06 272,000 1,000 4,000 -2,000 273,000 
			 2006-07 273,000 1,000 3,000 -2,000 274,000 
			 2007-08 274,000 1,000 3,000 -2,000 275,000 
			 2008-09 275,000 1,000 3,000 -2,000 276,000 
			 2009-10 276,000 1,000 3,000 -2,000 277,000 
			  Note: Data are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and thus may not add due to rounding.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Private Finance Initiative

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the decision-making process is for the allocation of private finance initiative credits to each department.

John Healey: HM Treasury allocates PFI credits as part of the comprehensive spending review (CSR). An envelope for the overall level of PFI credits in the CSR period was set at a fiscally affordable level in Budget 2007 at £3.63 billion for each of the three years. PFI credits are allocated between Departments based on HM Treasury's assessment of:
	the bids submitted by Departments in the CSR;
	the value for money that PFI will provide in each sector—assessed using HM Treasury's value for money assessment framework; and
	the relative level of priority the investment programmes represent.
	The level of DfES credits have already been agreed and the remaining departmental allocations will be announced by the autumn.

Private Finance Initiative

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the funding allocation was of private finance initiative credits to each Department in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The allocation of PFI credits across Departments since 1997 has been as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Sponsoring Department  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 DfES 50 130 350 350 450 853 850 1,050 1,220 1,270 1,320 
			 DH 7 30 30 30 40 52 40 65 70 95 115 
			 HO 59 75 100 20 65 96 75 100 110 110 120 
			 DCMS — — — 27 36 38 30 55 65 65 65 
			 DEFRA 47 57 86 34 96 70 100 125 130 255 280 
			 DCLG Housing — 4 2 3 160 312 356 325 360 610 610 
			 DfT — 8 291 — 151 145 360 425 560 620 1,180 
			 DCLG Fire — 5 — 81 35 29 50 55 50 65 75 
			 DCLG Other 11 57 26 25 56 50 24 69 65 65 65 
			 
			  Total  173  366  883  569  1,088  1,646  1,885  2,269  2,630  3,155  3,830

Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  by which date he expects each policy review being undertaken as part of his Comprehensive Spending Review to be completed;
	(2)  which of his Comprehensive Spending Review policy reviews have reported;
	(3)  how many staff have been working as part of his Department's Comprehensive Spending Review on the reviews of  (a) counter-terrorism and security,  (b) mental health and employment outcomes,  (c) sub-national economic development and regeneration,  (d) supporting housing growth and  (e) future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration, broken down by payband.

Stephen Timms: As set out in Budget 2006, PBR 2006 and Budget 2007 a number of cross-cutting reviews will inform the decisions to be made in the CSR. A number of these have already reported:
	Eddington Transport Study—published December 2006
	Leitch Review of Skills—published December 2006
	Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change—published October 2006
	Barker Review of Land Use Planning—published December 2006
	Lyons Review of Local government—published March 2007
	Energy Review: meeting the energy challenge—published May 2007
	 Children and Young People's Review
	Aiming high for children: supporting families (both prevention and families in a cycle of low achievement)—March 2007
	Aiming high for disabled children: better support for families—May 2007
	Review of positive activities for young people—still to report.
	No specific date has been set yet for the outstanding reviews to be published.
	The cross-cutting reviews, listed are being worked on by officials across government. Within HMT a wide range of staff across teams are contributing to and working as part of these reviews—whether full-time, part-time or as an aspect of their team's work. Each review is also guided by senior input and direction from team leaders, Directors, Managing Directors and Ministers.

Redundancy Pay: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1360W to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on Redundancy Pay: Ministerial Policy Advisors, and the written statement by the Prime Minister of 26 July 2006, what calculation he has made of his Department's contribution to the figure for severance pay.

John Healey: I have nothing further to add to my answer of 23 May.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pre-surplus staff there were at HM Revenue and Customs at the end of each quarter since 1 April 2005; and what the average length of service was for pre-surplus workers in the most recent quarter for which figures are available.

John Healey: The numbers of pre-surplus staff have been recorded since July 2005. The following table sets out the number of pre-surplus staff at the end of each quarter.
	
		
			   Number 
			 December 2005 1,409 
			 March 2006 923 
			 June 2006 1,101 
			 September 2006 1,642 
			 December 2006 1,736 
			 March 2007 1,853 
		
	
	We do not record the average length of service for pre-surplus staff and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	A range of measures are available for pre-surplus HMRC staff including early retirement schemes, redeployment support and training, priority access for staff to vacancies and incentives to re-train for other public sector posts.

Tax Allowances: Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the total cost to the Exchequer was of providing the tax relief for workplace pensions advice during  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07;
	(2)  what cost benefit analysis was undertaken prior to introducing the workplace advice tax credit; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the measure in promoting access to financial advice in the workplace;
	(3)  many firms have been in receipt of the additional tax relief given to employers offering workplace pensions advice since the measure was introduced as part of the Pensions Act 2004.

Edward Balls: Encouraging employers to provide workplace pensions information and advice to their employees was part of the Government's informed choice programme. The proposals on the informed choices strategy can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2004/inf-choice/
	and the DWPs subsequent evaluation of the effectiveness of different methods of providing pension information in the workplace can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/summ2005-2006/294summ.pdf.
	The limited tax exemption introduced on 14 December 2004 ensured that, as long as the qualifying conditions were met, the provision of such information and advice would not give rise to a tax charge on employees. There are no records of the cost of this exemption as employers are not obliged to report them separately to HMRC as long as they meet the qualifying conditions.
	Firms do not get additional tax relief for providing this workplace pension advice where the qualifying conditions are met but can include the cost in their accounts under employee costs as a deductible expense.

Tax Avoidance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax shelter or mitigation schemes were notified to him in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many of these have been deemed not to be acceptable by HM Revenue and Customs.

John Healey: Details of arrangements notified under the Disclosure of Tax Schemes Regime are published at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/avoidance/avoidance-disclosure-statistics.htm.
	Those for the period to 31 March 2007, the latest available, indicate that just over 1,450 direct tax schemes (income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and stamp duty land tax) and over 800 VAT schemes have been disclosed. These disclosures have both informed targeted anti-avoidance legislation and allowed HMRC to take swifter and more targeted action to counter deliberate abuse of the tax system. HMRC does not issue rulings as to the acceptability or otherwise of disclosed schemes.

Tax Avoidance: USA

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs  (a) consult and  (b) share information with the US Inland Revenue Service on tax shelter or tax mitigation schemes.

John Healey: Under the terms of the bilateral double taxation convention between the United Kingdom and the United States, the tax authorities of the two states have regular discussions about tax avoidance schemes, exchanging any information that is necessary for the assessment, collection and enforcement of the taxes covered by the convention.

Welfare Tax Credits

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made in introducing caps to the size of repayments following the overpayment of tax credits by HM Revenue and Customs.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Paymaster General's responses to questions 20 and 21 when she gave oral evidence to the Treasury Sub-Committee on 14 March.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the case for returning to a system of fixed tax credit awards since January 2006;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the revenue consequences for the Exchequer of moving to a system of six monthly fixed awards for tax credits; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: As the 2005 pre-Budget report stated, the Government continue to listen to the case for a system of fixed awards, but believe on balance that it is preferable to maintain the current system that flexibly responds to changing circumstances.
	The Government have made no estimate of the revenue consequences of moving to a system of six monthly fixed awards for tax credits. A system where payments were fixed, based on past information, would mean that families could not benefit from the flexibility to give extra support when they need it most. Statistics published on 22( )May 2007 show that between 2004-05 and 2005-06 720,000 families experienced a fall in their income, and benefited from extra support through tax credits.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimates are of tax credits  (a) overpayments and  (b) fraud and error for each year from 2003-04 to 2007-08; how much is estimated in each year to be (i) uncollectable and written off, (ii) unlikely to be collected but not yet written off, (iii) collected and (iv) likely to be collected; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Information on the value of overpayments on 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 tax credits awards are shown in the published statistics on finalised awards for those years (supplements on payments). They are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	Information on error and fraud in 2003-04 tax credits awards is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/menu.htm
	Information on the values of recoveries, remissions and write-offs made up to 5 April 2006, and the provision for doubtful debt, is shown in notes 3.3 and 8.2 of the Trust Statement to the HM Revenue and Customs 2005-06 Accounts. This is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/reports.htm

Welfare Tax Credits: Appeals

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written  (a) appeals and  (b) complaints there were in relation to tax credits for each (i) month, (ii) quarter and (iii) year from April 2003 to May 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: For information about the number of appeals relating to tax credits, up to and including October 2006, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that the Paymaster General gave the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr. Goodman) on 19 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1740W.
	Details for the period November 2006 to May 2007 were:
	
		
			  Month  Number of appeals (around) 
			  2006  
			 November 880 
			 December 650 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 790 
			 February 810 
			 March 830 
			 April 700 
			 May 610 
		
	
	For information about the number of complaints in relation to tax credits up to and including 2004-05, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that the Paymaster General gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 15 June 2005,  Official Report, columns 398-399W. Information for 2005-06 and 2006-07 was published in the HM Revenue and Customs departmental report in May 2007 which is available on the HMRC internet site at:
	http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/downloadFile?contentID=HMCE_PROD1_027505
	The number of complaints received in each month in 2005-06 and 2006-07 was around:
	
		
			  Month  Number of complainants (around) 
			  2005  
			 April 5,650 
			 May 4,400 
			 June 5,550 
			 July 5,900 
			 August 5,400 
			 September 5,400 
			 October 5,650 
			 November 5,700 
			 December 4,150 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 4,850 
			 February 5,100 
			 March 4,900 
			 April 3,900 
			 May 4,350 
			 June 5,250 
			 July 4,950 
			 August 5,100 
			 September 4,400 
			 October 4,800 
			 November 5,250 
			 December 3,650 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 4,450 
			 February 4,300 
			 March 4,100 
			 April 3,250 
			 May 4,000

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he plans to release the latest estimates of tax credit fraud and error in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Error and Fraud Statistics 2003-04" is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/error-fraud.htm
	For information on Child and Working Tax Credit Fraud and Error Statistics in 2004-05 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 2 November 2006,  Official Report, column 585W.
	No release date has been set as yet for the publication of the 2005-06 fraud and error statistics.

Welfare Tax Credits: IT

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the quality of performance of the tax credits IT systems from January 2006 to May 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The performance of the tax credits IT system is continually monitored and is proving to be stable. In 2006 and 2007 HMRC have exceeded their system availability targets of 99.37 per cent. and 99.43 per cent. respectively.

Written Questions

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to answer Question 131611, on HM Revenue and Customs, tabled by the hon. Member for Taunton on 29 March 2007.

John Healey: The Treasury regrets that the hon. Member's question has not yet been answered and hopes to be able to do so shortly.

Students: Loans

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the interest accrued by the Student Loans Company (SLC) money paid by former students prior to it being passed onto the SLC; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	Student loans repayments are not transferred to the Student Loans Company. They reduce the net assets, representing outstanding loans, on the Department for Education and Skills balance sheet. It is only information about repayments made by individual borrowers that is passed to the Company to allow it to issue annual statements. Once that information is received by the Company, repayments are attributed to each month of the tax year in which they were made by the borrower and monthly interest is calculated accordingly. This ensures that even if there is a delay in repayment details reaching the Company, the borrower does not pay any additional interest. No borrower pays too much interest as a result of the time lag in updating their account and nor does the Department or the SLC gain any additional income from the interest paid.

JUSTICE

David Kelly

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice which persons from the Department of Constitutional Affairs attended the resumed inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly on 14 August 2003.

Harriet Harman: No-one from the Department for Constitutional Affairs attended the resumed inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what methodology is used by her Department to account for its carbon emissions.

Vera Baird: The former DCA estate uses an electronic energy monitoring system that calculates the total energy consumption based upon energy invoices. The result is submitted yearly to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) which calculates the annual carbon emissions. The result is published in the annual Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report.
	Public sector prisons are the responsibility of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Energy consumption is reported to the Prison Service Energy Manager on a monthly basis and carbon emissions are calculated using a standard conversion factor. The monthly consumption is adjusted to take account of variations in the prison population and weather. Annual consumption figures are reported to BRE for inclusion in the annual SDiG report.
	The Probation Service calculated their carbon emission through collecting the energy bills for electricity, gas and oil and collating the data for the whole Home Office. The data are submitted to BRE to be weather corrected, converted into carbon and sent to the Sustainable Development Commission for inclusion in the SDiG report.
	The privately operated prisons and the secure training centres were delivered under the private finance initiative and have no official methodology.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the cost of leasing buildings and office space for  (a) her Department and its predecessor and  (b) its agencies was in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: The full running costs of all office space could be obtained but only at a disproportionate cost. However I am able to provide the cost incurred by my Department and its executive agencies on rent over the past five years. These are as follows:
	
		
			  (a) The Department 
			   £ 
			 2002-03 6,271,931 
			 2003-04 7,027,431 
			 2004-05 7,027,431 
			 2005-06 21,375,684 
			 2006-07 23, 778,951 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Executive agencies 
			   £ 
			 2002-03 24,023,000 
			 2003-04 28,831,000 
			 2004-05 31,178,000 
			 2005-06 28,547,000 
			 2006-07 66,690,352 
		
	
	The Home Office is reporting with regard to MOJ properties transferring from the Home Office as part of Machinery of Government changes.

Departments: Signs

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) signs and  (b) business cards have been purchased for the Ministry of Justice;
	(2)  how much has been spent on new signage for the Ministry of Justice.

Vera Baird: The number of signs purchased for the Ministry of Justice totals 62 as at 7 June 2007. We are unable to determine precisely how many business cards have been purchased for the Ministry of Justice.
	Costs incurred by the Department for Constitutional Affairs up to 9 May 2007 in relation to the setting up of the Ministry of Justice are estimated at £1.5 million. These costs mainly relate to IT and estate changes to ensure the new Ministry can operate effectively. The costs relating to signage are included in the £1.5 million. Additional costs arising from the integration of the various activities that constitute the new Ministry will be incurred after 9 May.

Electoral Register: Fraud

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what steps the Government are taking to tackle false electoral registration.

Bridget Prentice: The Electoral Administration Act 2006 introduced new measures to help tackle false electoral registration. The measures introduced in the Act are:
	Making it an offence to provide false or incorrect information to an electoral registration officer;
	Allowing an elector to object to a person's registration at any time;
	Allowing an ERO to remove ineligible people from the electoral register;
	Imposing a duty on a registration officer to take all necessary steps to maintain the register. This includes inspecting any records held by any person which he is permitted to inspect such as council tax records.
	A requirement for electors to provide additional personal identifiers (signature and date of birth) if they wish to have a postal vote.
	A requirement for electors to provide personal identifier (signature and date of birth) if they wish to have a postal vote.
	The Government and the Electoral Commission continue to work with the electoral community and the police to address issues to improve the security of the registration system.

Freedom of Information

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice when the code of practice on the discharge of public authorities' functions under Part I of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 was last updated or revised.

Vera Baird: The code of practice on the discharge of public authorities' functions under Part I of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 was published on November 2004. It has not subsequently been updated or revised, however we consider that it is working well.
	(http://www.foi.gov.uk/reference/imprep/codepafunc.htm)

Freedom of Information

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what guidance her Department has given to public authorities, in relation to freedom of information, on signing contracts with external organisations that have clauses stating that the contract itself cannot be made public.

Vera Baird: Guidance to public authorities is contained in the code of practice on the discharge of public authorities' functions under Part I of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Advice about freedom of information and confidentiality obligations when entering into contracts is set out in part V of the code.
	(http://www.foi.gov.uk/reference/imprep/codepafunc.htm)

Freedom of Information: Regional Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will take steps to bring within the ambit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 English regional chambers as public authorities.

Vera Baird: Organisations such as the English regional chambers will be considered in the context of any review of extending the coverage of the Freedom of Information Act. We have no plans to review the coverage of the Act at present.

Hayden Phillips

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what fees, expenses and payments Sir Hayden Phillips will receive in relation to  (a) his review of party funding and  (b) the discussions on party funding in which she is involved.

Bridget Prentice: From the commencement of his review of party funding in March 2006 to the end of April 2007, Sir Hayden Phillips has received £48,768 in fees, expenses and payments.
	This figure covers both Sir Hayden's review of party funding which ended in March 2007 and the continuing cross-party talks for the calendar month of April 2007.

Information Commissioner: Appeals

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the average time was for an appeal to the Information Commissioner to be considered in the last 12 months.

Vera Baird: In the 12 months up to May 2007 the average was 151 days.
	This figure does not include Data Protection Act cases, as they are "assessments", not "appeals".

Information Commissioner: Appeals

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many appeals to the Information Commissioner have been waiting to be considered for more than six months.

Vera Baird: At the end of May 2007 there were a total of 784 complaints under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations aged over 180 days.
	This figure does not include Data Protection Act cases, as they are "assessments", not "appeals".

Legal Aid Scheme

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction in October 2007 of a fixed fee system for legal aid on access to justice; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many solicitors she expects to participate in the new fixed fee system of legal aid when it is introduced in October 2007;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the effect on the demand for legal aid of the introduction of a fixed fee system in October 2007; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what contingency plans she has put in place to deal with any delays in access to justice which may result following the introduction of a fixed fee system for legal aid in October 2007;
	(5)  what recent representations she has received from  (a) solicitors and  (b) representative organisations on access to justice following the introduction of a fixed fee system for legal aid in October 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Fixed and graduated fees have been operating in many areas of legal aid for many years and have been shown to control costs and encourage efficiency, and hence to improve access to justice. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) currently expects to extend the application of these fees to nearly all areas of legal aid from October 2007 as a precursor to best value tendering, which is expected to be rolled out from October 2008.
	While greater efficiency will allow us to help more people within a limited budget, the new fee schemes will not impact directly on demand for legal aid. Full regulatory impact assessments have accompanied each of the new fee schemes as they have been announced.
	We expect the long-term trend of fewer legal aid providers helping more people to continue. Nevertheless, 94 per cent. of civil providers signed the new unified contract in April this year. The LSC will closely monitor the state of the supplier base as the reform programme progresses. The LSC is also working closely with Her Majesty's Courts Service and other justice agencies to ensure that the reforms are implemented smoothly.
	We do not expect any delays to follow the implementation of fixed fees.
	My Department and the LSC regularly meet solicitors, other providers and their representative bodies to discuss issues of concern.

Legal Aid Scheme: Kent

Adam Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many legal practitioners in the Kent criminal justice area have not signed up to the new legal aid contract.

Vera Baird: The unified contract for civil work was issued to 79 solicitors' offices in Kent. 75 contracts have been returned signed. 23 out of the 75 contracted offices undertake crime legal aid work as well as civil legal aid work.
	Eight contracts were issued to not-for-profit organisations in Kent and all have been returned signed.

Local Child Curfew Schemes: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many child curfew orders were issued in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each year since their creation.

Bridget Prentice: The number of curfew orders received by young people aged 10 to 17 in East Sussex is as follows. Separate figures for Eastbourne are not collected.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000-01 1 
			 2001-02 3 
			 2002-03 8 
			 2003-04 12 
			 2004-05 26 
			 2005-06 28 
			 2006-07 47

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice when the Secretary of State expects to answer the letter transferred to him from the Home Office dated 16 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. Aslam.

Harriet Harman: I apologise that the reply has been delayed beyond our normal target date on this occasion. My right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor replied on 6 June.

Personal Injury

David Kidney: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment she has made of the levels of referral to mediation of disputes involving personal injury claims.

Vera Baird: As mediation services are provided by a number of local and national commercial mediation organisations, it is not possible to assess the true level of referral to mediation involving personal injury claims across England and Wales. However, the Ministry has recently conducted evaluations of our court-based mediation schemes based at central London, Birmingham, Guildford and Exeter. The results show that, although personal injury claims represent over half of the cases allocated to the fast and multi-track, these claims make up less than 6 per cent. of the cases that undertake the mediation process.

Police Custody

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) female prisoners,  (b) prisoners under the age of 18,  (c) prisoners who are undergoing a Crown Court trial,  (d) prisoners at risk of self-harm,  (e) prisoners remanded for serious offences who are potentially Category A and  (f) prisoners who have a history of either escape attempts or disruptive behaviour have been housed in police cells under Operation Safeguard in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No female prisoners, prisoners under the age of 18 or potential Category A prisoners have been held in police cells under operation safeguard in the last 12 months.
	We assess all prisoners considered for accommodation in police cells under operation safeguard for risk of self harm, potential to escape and disruptive behaviour with a view to excluding those who demonstrate a high level of risk of these behaviours.
	The number of prisoners held in police cells under operation safeguard while undergoing a Crown court trial is not available.

Police Custody

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what provisions are in place to provide  (a) purposeful activity,  (b) behavioural treatment,  (c) drug and alcohol dependency rehabilitation,  (d) contact with friends and family and  (e) resettlement preparation to prisoners held under Operation Safeguard.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We aim to hold individual prisoners in police cells under Operation Safeguard for the minimum period, normally overnight and for no longer than 48 hours. As prisoners are only held in police cells for a short time, the police will do everything possible to meet prisoners' basic needs but it is not possible to offer a prison regime.
	Police cells will not normally be used to accommodate prisoners with an identified health care need or vulnerable prisoners.

Political Parties: Finance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the total cost to date to the public purse has been of  (a) Sir Hayden Phillips' review and  (b) the discussions on party funding.

Bridget Prentice: The total cost to date is as follows:
	£278,072.31 for Sir Hayden Phillips' review of the funding of political parties, which ended in March 2007;
	£15,937.80 for the cross-party talks on the funding of political parties, chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips.

Political Parties: Finance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many staff are working on  (a) the Sir Hayden Phillips review and  (b) discussions on party funding.

Bridget Prentice: Sir Hayden Phillips' review of the funding of political parties began in March 2006 and ended in March 2007. During this phase of Sir Hayden's work, four full-time civil servants on secondment and one part-time civil servant worked on Sir Hayden's review, assisted by two external consultants providing specialist skills.
	Sir Hayden Phillips has been chairing cross-party talks on the funding of political parties since his review ended in March 2007. Four full-time civil servants on secondment and one part-time civil servant, led by an external part-time consultant, are working on the cross-party talks. Sir Hayden Phillips is also being assisted by two external consultants providing specialist skills.

Powers of Attorney

David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment she has made of the levels of abuse by donees of powers given to them under enduring powers of attorney.

Vera Baird: There has been no formal assessment of levels of abuse of enduring powers of attorney (EPAs). It is particularly difficult to make judgments in this area because of the potentially high numbers of unregistered EPAs in existence. The Public Guardianship Office and Court of Protection have no knowledge of unregistered powers and only become aware of their existence if and when third parties raise direct concerns.
	Under the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, EPAs will be replaced by new lasting powers of attorney (LPA). Because of concerns around the potential for abuse of such powers, the Act introduces a number of additional safeguards that will provide greater protection for people making them in the future:
	From October 2007 EPAs and LPAs must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) before use.
	An independent party must provide a certificate confirming that the person making the LPA understands what they are doing and that they are not acting under undue influence.
	When an application to register an LPA is made, the OPG must contact up to five people named by the donor to be notified. If no one is named, then a second independent party must have provided an additional certificate.
	Attorneys will have a duty to have regard to a statutory code of practice. Failure to follow the guidance in the code can be used as evidence in court proceedings.
	If the public guardian has concerns about the way an attorney is carrying out their role, he has the powers to ask for accounts and an explanation as to why particular decisions are being made.

Prisons

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 292-3W, on prisons, how many  (a) suicides,  (b) attempted suicides,  (c) self-harm incidents and  (d) prisoner-on-prisoner assaults there were in HM Prisons in 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number requested at  (a) in relation to self-inflicted deaths in prison in 2006 is 67.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 671-72W, to question number 103622 for the information requested at  (b) of his question.
	The recorded number requested at  (c) in relation to self-harm incidents in prison in 2006 is 23,389 incidents, the vast majority of which did not constitute life threatening incidents. The recorded number requested at  (d) in relation to prisoner on prisoner assault in 2006 is 11,427. These figures should not be taken as absolute.

Prisons: Construction

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice which prisons have made planning applications related to expansion of capacity; and what steps  (a) HM Prison Service and  (b) her Department is taking to consult local residents at each stage of the process in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following schedule details those planning applications which have been submitted so far to local planning authorities.
	Officials from the Ministry of Justice meet with planning officers from the appropriate local planning authorities in the early stages of the consideration of any proposal for the expansion of an existing prison establishment or for a new prison development. This is to ensure that they are aware of the proposal; that we can take on board wherever possible comments that they may have about the nature of the project and that there is agreement on the timing and content of any public consultation.
	Public consultation forms part of the planning process normally conducted by the local planning authority. However, in addition the Ministry of Justice undertakes public consultation in respect of significant prison proposals including new prisons. Such public consultation will invariably involve presentations to councillors (including parish councils) and the holding of a public exhibition (usually over a two to three day period) close to the site in question where officials are present to explain proposals and to answer questions. This is preceded by a leaflet drop in the surrounding area advertising the exhibition and explaining the proposals.
	
		
			  8000 Capacity Programme 
			   Number of additional places  Type of accommodation  Status of planning application  Comments 
			  A. Expansion of existing prisons 
			 Featherstone 64 RBRU Approved Under construction 
			 The Mount 44 RBRU Approved Under construction 
			 Onley 64 RBRU Rejected Initial application rejected on traffic analysis. To be re-submitted. 
			 Brinsford 64 RBRU Approved Under construction 
			 Stocken 64 RBRU Application submitted Determination Expected in July 07 
			 Coldingley 124 2 x RBRU Approved — 
			 Send 64 RBRU Approved — 
			 Portland 64 RBRU See comments Initial application rejected on ground conditions and car parking. Has been re-submitted. 
			 Haverigg 64 RBRU Approved Under construction 
			 Acklington 62 to 70 RBRU Application submitted  
			 Whatton 60 TCM Permitted development Certificate of lawfulness approved by Local Authority. Under construction 
			 Hindley 60 TCM Permitted development Certificate of lawfulness approved by Local Authority. Under construction 
			 Channings Wood 64 TCM Permitted development Certificate of lawfulness approved by Local Authority. Under construction 
			 Stoke Heath 60 TCM Permitted development Certificate of lawfulness approved by Local Authority. Under construction 
			 Lindholme 60 TCM Permitted development Certificate of lawfulness approved by Local Authority. Under construction 
			 Blantyre House 60 RBRU/TCM See comments Initial application rejected New application to be submitted 
			 Wayland 300 TCP Approved Under construction Public exhibition has been held. 
			 Rochester 300 TCP Application submitted Determination expected in mid-July - Public Exhibition has been held. 
			 Highdown 180 Houseblock Approved Under construction 
			 Lewes 176 Houseblock Approved Under construction 
			 Bullingdon 120 Houseblock Approved Under construction 
			 Swaleside 180 Houseblock Approved Under construction 
			 Long Lartin 180 Houseblock Approved Under construction 
			 Stocken 120 Houseblock Approved Under construction 
			 Styal (New site) 258 6 x RBRU Approved Original scheme approved but new application to be submitted as significant changes have taken place 
			 Frankland 120 Houseblock Approved — 
			 Dovegate 260 Houseblock Approved Private Sector prison 
			 Lowdham Grange 256 Houseblock Approved Private Sector prison 
			 Bronzefield 77 RBRU Approved Private Sector prison 
			 Forest Bank 464 Houseblocks Application submitted Private Sector prison 
			 Pare 360 Houseblocks Application submitted Private Sector prison 
		
	
	
		
			  Establishment  Number of additional places  Type of accommodation  Status of planning application  Comments 
			  B. New prisons 
			 Belmarsh East 480 Co-located prison Application submitted Public Exhibition held. 
			 Ashworth 600 Prison Approved New site at Maghull, Merseyside. Public exhibition held. 
			 Ken net 350 Prison Approved Conversion of a former hospital at Maghull, Merseyside Public exhibition held 
			  Note: RBRU = Ready Built Residential Unit—small accommodation block to category C standard.  TCM = Temporary Custodial Module—small accommodation block to category C standard.  TCP = Temporary Custodial Facility—small prison to category C standard  houseblock = Standard accommodation block to category B standard.  Co-located prison = new prison adjacent to or within existing prison; including houseblocks to category B standard.

Prisons: Rochester

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2007,  Official Report, column 605W, on Prisons: Rochester, what related demolition or construction works have already been undertaken at HMP Rochester;
	(2)  who authorised the commencement of building work at Rochester Prison.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Some preparatory work has been carried out on site. I took the decision that no further work should be carried out pending the outcome of the planning application which has yet to be determined. The main building work has not therefore commenced.

Salisbury Justice Centre

Robert Key: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice when work will start on the construction of the Salisbury Justice Centre; and when the centre will come into service.

Harriet Harman: It is planned that work will start on the construction of the Salisbury Justice Centre by the end of July 2007 and coming into service during the early summer 2009.

Valuation Office Agency: Land Registry

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether the Valuation Office Agency will have access to the Land Registry's Chain Matrix system.

Vera Baird: The Chain Matrix system which, as a prototype, is currently being tested, is a dedicated website that tracks the progress of a chain of residential property transactions starting with the issue of contract through to exchange and completion. There is no business need for the Valuation Office Agency to have access to the system and Land Registry has no arrangements or plans to provide the agency with Chain Matrix data.

Young Offenders: Suicide

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) suicides,  (b) attempted suicides,  (c) self-harm incidents and  (d) prisoner-on-prisoner assaults there were in young offender institutions in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows the numbers of apparently self-inflicted deaths in Young Offender Institutions since 1997.
	
		
			   Number of self-inflicted deaths( 1) 
			 1997 9 
			 1998 7 
			 1999 10 
			 2000 8 
			 2001 6 
			 2002 6 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 9 
			 2006 1 
			 (1 )The Prison Service definition of self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. 
		
	
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 671-72W, to question number 103622 for the information requested at  (b) of his Question.
	The following table shows the numbers of recorded self-harm incidents in Young Offender Institutions since 1997.
	
		
			   Recorded self-harm 
			 1997(1) 144 
			 1998(1) 300 
			 1999(1) 384 
			 2000(1) 473 
			 2001 494 
			 2002(1) 686 
			 2003 1145 
			 2004 1310 
			 2005 1579 
			 2006 1836 
			 (1 )The numbers of recorded self-harm incidents (or figures derived from them) before and after 2003 (when improvements for self-harm recording were introduced under the new F213SH procedures) should not be compared directly.  Note: Figures overall should not be taken as absolute. 
		
	
	The information requested at  (d) in relation to prisoner on prisoner assaults is provided in the following table. Data for 1997-99 are not centrally available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. They should not be taken as absolute.
	
		
			   YOI( 1) 
			 2000 2562 
			 2001 3005 
			 2002 2976 
			 2003 2945 
			 2004 3544 
			 2005 4435 
			 2006 4707 
			 2007(2) 1047 
			 (1 )Excludes data from establishments also holding older prisoners. (2) Up to 28 April

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Apprenticeships

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of apprenticeships are part of the programme-led pathway; and what percentage of apprentices on the programme-led pathway successfully complete the full framework.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 26 March 2007, Official Report, column 1272W.

Apprenticeships

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many apprenticeships were  (a) created and  (b) completed in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: Figures for apprenticeships completed can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) work based learning (WBL) individualised learner record (ILR).
	 (a) The volume of learner starts on apprenticeship frameworks is published by the LSC in the annual Statistical First Release "Further Education, Work Based Learning and Adult and Community Learning—Learner numbers in England". The volumes for the previous two full years are collated in the following table. The data for 2003/04 showed the number of learners as opposed to the number of starts and therefore are not consistent with the latest data.
	
		
			   Advanced apprenticeship s  Apprenticeship s 
			 2003/04 n/a n/a 
			 2004/05 53,900 134,500 
			 2005/06 52,100 122,800 
		
	
	 (b) The number of achievers (students who successfully completed the framework) for the last three years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Advanced apprenticeship s  Apprenticeship s 
			 2003/04 23,820 45,540 
			 2004/05 25,950 61,190 
			 2005/06 32,990 77,180 
		
	
	Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 learners.

Apprenticeships

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the Learning and Skills Council are  (a) employers,  (b) colleges of further education,  (c) independent training providers,  (d) local authorities and  (e) other in (i) England, (ii) each region and (iii) broken down by sector skills council.

Phil Hope: Data on Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships are collected on the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The table shows the volume and percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the LSC broken down by provider type for each region in England in 2005/06. It is not possible to associate learning providers to Sector Skills Councils.
	
		
			  Volume and percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the LSC broken down by provider type for each region and England — 2005/06 
			   East of England  East Midlands  Greater London  North East  North West 
			  Type  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region 
			 Chamber of Commerce 230 1 870 3 — — 460 2 510 1 
			 Independent school or college — — — — 100 0 — — — — 
			 Organisation in Business in its own right 28,390 67 21,510 66 16,090 71 9,410 41 47,480 64 
			 Other Private Organisation — — 390 1 430 2 4,700 21 2,140 3 
			 External Institution — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Sixth form college 70 0 — — 100 0 — — 280 0 
			 Special college—Agriculture and Horticulture 650 2 1,320 4 50 0 — — 1,210 2 
			 Special college—Art, Design and Performing Arts — — — — — — — — — — 
			 General FE College inc. Tertiary 11,830 28 7,890 24 4,760 21 4,690 21 13,210 18 
			 Higher Education Organisation — — 280 1 — — — — 160 0 
			 Local Authority 20 0 450 1 — — 110 0 — — 
			 Local Education Authority (LEA) 450 1 50 0 300 1 1,670 7 1,060 1 
			 Other Public Organisation 10 0 — — 50 0 350 2 50 0 
			 Charitable 690 2 — — 620 3 1,430 6 7,690 10 
			 Non-charitable — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Other Voluntary Organisation — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Other Local Authority 130 0 — — 140 1 — — 0 — 
			 Total 42,480 — 32,740 — 22,640 — 22,810 — 73,780 — 
		
	
	
		
			   South East  South West  West Midlands  Yorkshire and Humberside  England 
			  Type  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No. 
			 Chamber of Commerce — — — — 2,220 4 1,310 3 5,600 
			 Independent school or college — — — — — — — — 104 
			 Organisation in Business in its own right 53,630 67 21,080 50 35,430 65 25,540 61 258,540 
			 Other Private Organisation 1,040 1 790 2 1,870 3 1,690 4 13,040 
			 External Institution 190 0 70 0 — — 180 0 440 
			 Sixth form college 340 0 60 0 100 0 — — 950 
			 Special college—Agriculture and Horticulture 520 1 490 1 370 1 650 2 5,260 
			 Special college—Art, Design and Performing Arts — — 30 0 — — — — 30 
			 General FE College inc. Tertiary 12,620 16 13,580 32 12,190 22 9,670 23 90,440 
			 Higher Education Organisation — — — — 120 0 250 1 810 
			 Local Authority — — 740 2 360 1 550 1 2,210 
			 Local Education Authority (LEA) 690 1 70 0 230 0 880 2 5,400 
			 Other Public Organisation 30 0 4,550 11 1,250 2 190 0 6,470 
			 Charitable 11,090 14 900 2 540 1 170 0 23,120 
			 Non-charitable 50 0 — — — — — — — 
			 Other Voluntary Organisation — — — — 60 0 — — 60 
			 Other Local Authority — — 190 0 — — 650 2 1,110 
			 Total 80,200 — 42,540 — 54,720 — 41,730 — 413,580 
			  Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  ILR

Boxing: Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Government's policy is on the provision of boxing as a physical education activity in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: It is for schools to decide whether they want to deliver elements of the PE national curriculum through boxing, or offer it as an after school activity.
	Schools have a duty to ensure that any coaching is provided by responsible and qualified coaches in a safe environment. Only qualified and experienced coaches should be employed to teach, coach or officiate boxing in schools. Schools that choose to offer boxing should ensure that all parents and pupils involved are aware of, and accept, the inherent and obvious risks.
	The 2006 annual school sport survey found that 431 schools (3 per cent.) involved in a school sport partnership offered boxing either within or beyond the school day.

Carers' Allowances: Kent

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with Kent county council on the phasing in of the minimum allowances payable to carers.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 12 June 2007
	The national minimum allowance rates for foster carers were introduced in July 2006. Local authorities are working towards meeting the rates. The good practice guidance which accompanied the national minimum allowance supports local authorities in improving the way they organise their payment systems.
	Detailed discussions with individual local authorities are not taking place but local authorities' progress towards meeting the minimum rate will be monitored through inspection. If significant progress is not made, we shall consider enforcing the national minimum allowance through regulation.

Dartington College of Arts

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures he has taken to ensure that the merger of Dartington College with University College Falmouth will not adversely affect  (a) the local economy and  (b) the students studying there.

Bill Rammell: The governing body of Dartington College is pursuing the option of a merger with University College, Falmouth from 2010 in order that the resulting institution should have a sustainable future. The proposed University of the Arts in Cornwall should contribute to economic regeneration and provide new opportunities for students across the south-west region. As autonomous bodies which are independent of Government control, it is for higher education institutions and the funding bodies which support them to take account of the needs of students and the regions they serve and I am confident that they will do so.

Day Care: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many child care places were available  (a) in total and  (b) per 100 children under the age of five in each London local authority in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006.

Beverley Hughes: Information is not available in the form requested.
	The available information on registered child care places for children under eight is shown in the following table. The latest figures on registered child care provider and places are available on the following website:
	www.ofsted.gov.uk/
	
		
			  Registered child care places for children under eight years of age 
			   Number( 1,2)  of registered child care places  Rates( 3)  per 100 children aged under eight 
			  London boroughs  1997( 4)  2006( 5)  1997  2006 
			 Inner London 36,300 73,000 14 28 
			 Camden 2,500 4,800 17 28 
			 City of London 200 600 58 171 
			 Hackney 4,200 5,800 19 26 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,800 4,200 15 31 
			 Haringey 2,600 4,500 12 22 
			 Islington 4,200 5,300 25 37 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,000 3,700 20 26 
			 Lambeth n/a 6,900 n/a 29 
			 Lewisham 3,800 6,700 15 29 
			 Newham 2,600 5,500 9 20 
			 Southwark 4,800 8,900 19 39 
			 Tower Hamlets n/a 3,800 n/a 18 
			 Wandsworth 5,500 8,700 25 39 
			 Westminster 2,300 3,700 20 24 
			 Outer London 52,600 105,400 13 27 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,200 2,600 7 15 
			 Barnet 3,000 8,300 11 29 
			 Bexley 2,600 3,700 12 20 
			 Brent 4,000 5,600 16 24 
			 Bromley 2,700 7,200 10 28 
			 Croydon 4,800 10,200 15 34 
			 Ealing 5,100 7,300 18 28 
			 Enfield 3,500 5,500 13 21 
			 Greenwich 2,600 6,400 12 30 
			 Harrow 1,800 3,800 10 21 
			 Havering 2,500 3,700 13 21 
			 Hillingdon 3,100 5,600 13 25 
			 Hounslow 2,300 4,700 11 25 
			 Kingston upon Thames 2,200 3,800 18 31 
			 Merton 2,300 5,500 13 34 
			 Redbridge 1,800 5,800 8 26 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,800 5,400 20 33 
			 Sutton 2,200 4,500 13 30 
			 Waltham Forest 2,200 5,900 9 28 
			 n/a = not available (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100 if over 100. (2) Figures at 31 March each year. (3) Population estimates at January each year. (4) Data Source: Children's Day Care Facilities Survey. Includes Day Nurseries, Childminders and Out of School Clubs. (5) Data Source: Ofsted. Includes Full Day Care, Childminders and Out of School Day Care.  Note: The population estimates are subject to a margin of error and should be considered to be approximations. For the City of London the participation rate exceeds 100 per cent. because the counts of children attending providers do not correspond exactly to the counts of children in the population. For example, children attending child care provision within the city may live outside the area.

Departments: Advertising

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much revenue his Department received from  (a) advertisements on his Department's public information leaflets and  (b) advertisements on his Department's public websites in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills does not receive revenue on adverts from Public Information leaflets or on the Department's public websites.

Departments: Buildings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost of leasing buildings and office space for  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies was in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The cost of leasing buildings for the Department in each of the past five years is shown as follows.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 20,174,340 
			 2003-04 20,875,911 
			 2004-05 20,875,911 
			 2005-06 20,875,911 
			 2006-07 22,345,123

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what methodology is used by his Department to account for its carbon emissions.

Parmjit Dhanda: DFES headquarters uses the DEFRA required or recommended methodology to account for its carbon emissions.

Departments: Consultants

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the outside  (a) agencies and  (b) consultancies which are undertaking work commissioned by his Department; and what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost is of each commission.

Parmjit Dhanda: This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many grievance procedures have been initiated in his Department in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be given only at a disproportionate cost.
	The Department has arrangements in place where people can raise a grievance on any action or decision that they believe is wrong and that puts them at a disadvantage. All such complaints are considered in line with the arrangements in our staff handbook that reflect the three step process in the statutory dispute resolution procedures. Most of these complaints are settled directly between the individual and their line manager and are not recorded centrally.

Departments: Epilepsy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people with epilepsy are employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Data are not available on the number of people with epilepsy employed by the Department for Education and Skills. Declaration of a disability is voluntary and does not require staff to declare the nature of their disability.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of his Department's special advisers were on  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid leave in order to assist with party political matters under section 22 (iii) of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers on 16 May 2007; and how many days' leave each adviser was granted.

Parmjit Dhanda: Special advisers' involvement in party political matters is conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, including section 22 (iii), and the guidance issued by the Cabinet Secretary in December 2006 and May 2007, copies are available in the House Libraries.

Departments: Netmums Website

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department has provided funding to the netmums.com website.

Beverley Hughes: The Department paid £9,500 (before VAT) to Netmums on 6 January 2006, to fund their pilot coffee house project. We have made no payments in this financial year. This project tested and evaluated the potential for enhancing the experience of those using the Netmums Forum by having experts online who can directly answer questions and give practical advice. The expert involvement ran from January 2006 to March 2006.
	The key points from the evaluation of the project showed that the peer support forum is a vital service for parents who are struggling. Many parents who used the coffee house were surprised that there are others there who are going through the same difficulties. The parents also felt supported by reading about the experiences of others, and are interested to read how others have coped in similar situations. The evaluation study has shown how expert involvement can benefit the users of peer support forums.

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in his Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills has no official ministerial residences.

Departments: Paper

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of paper used  (a) for photocopying and  (b) in printed publications by his Department was from recycled sources in each of the last three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: DfES Headquarters used the following percentages of paper from recycled sources for  (a) photocopying and  (b) printed publications in the latest available three years:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 
			  (a) 1 26 79 
			  (b) 0 0 100

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was raised from the sale of departmental property in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Departments property disposal receipts for the past five years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2002-02 Nil 
			 2003-04 1,300,000 
			 2004-05 1,530,000 
			 2005-06 100,000 
			 2006-07 Nil

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was received by the Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Property receipts 
			   £ 
			 2002-03 4,152,575 
			 2003-04 7,131,889 
			 2004-05 5,902,482 
			 2005-06 6,182,901 
			 2006-07 6,002,258

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what properties the Department  (a) owned and  (b) rented in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following are properties owned by the Department in the last five years.
	
		
			  Property name  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Moorfoot Sheffield X X X X X 
			 Sheffield Nursery X X X X X 
			 Wales Bar Sheffield Document Store X X X X X 
			 Mowden Hall Darlington X X X X X 
			 Middlesbrough Skillcentre Annexe X X X X X 
			 Castle View House Runcorn X X X X X 
			 East Lane House Runcorn X X — — — 
		
	
	The following are departmental properties rented.
	
		
			  Property name  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Caxton House Westminster London X X X X X 
			 Sanctuary Buildings Westminster London X X X X X 
			 Maltravers Road Sheffield Warehouse X X X X X 
			 83 Piccadilly/28 Bolton Street London X X X X X 
			 Vincent House Darlington X X — — —

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent estimate has been made of the value of the Department's property portfolio.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Valuation of the Department's property portfolio 
			   £ 
			 2005 valuation 33,485,000

Departments: Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much energy in kilowatt hours was purchased by his Department from renewable sources in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: DfES headquarters purchased 4,872,685 kilowatt hours of renewable energy in 2005-06.

Departments: Telephone Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department with the prefix  (a) 0870 and  (b) 0845; and whether alternative geographic numbers are available in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information as requested is not readily available centrally within the Department for Education and Skills (DFES). To respond fully would involve an extensive information collection exercise which would exceed the recommended disproportionate cost threshold. However, to be helpful, using a variety of information and data sources relating solely to DFES headquarters, the following information can be provided.
	DFES currently sponsor seven telephone numbers with the prefix  (a) 0870, and ten telephone numbers with the prefix  (b) 0845. Alternative geographic telephone numbers are available in each case.

Employment Schemes: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was allocated to  (a) adult learner support,  (b) career development loans and  (c) wage compensation under Train to Gain in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07; and how much is likely to be allocated in 2007-08.

Phil Hope: The table shows the Department of Education and Skills' expenditure on  (a) adult learner support;  (b) career development loans;  (c) Train to Gain wage compensation between 2005-06 and 2007-08 (actual and planned). All amounts are rounded to the nearest £1 million.
	Adult learner support includes the Learner Support Fund and Adult Learning Grant. These provide financial support to help meet the costs of learning to disadvantaged and low income adults undertaking further education.
	Train to Gain commenced operations in April 2006. Funds have been allocated for wage compensation for small employers of up to 50 employees to compensate them for the time employees spend in training.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Outturn  Budget 
			   Actual  Provisional  Planned 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Adult learner support 89 98 121 
			 Career development loans 19 22 20 
			 Train to Gain—wage compensation — 17 38

Extended Schools

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what research his Department is undertaking to assess the range of services and activities being offered by secondary schools as part of the extended school programme;
	(2)  what research his Department is undertaking to assess the take-up of extended school services by  (a) social class,  (b) ethnic composition and  (c) children with disabilities;
	(3)  how many secondary schools provide the childcare element of the full extended schools offer;
	(4)  what research his Department has undertaken into demand for formalised access to and registered attendance at extended schools amongst children aged 11 years and older; and what research has been carried out into the scope and impact of charging for extended school services.

Beverley Hughes: We will be publishing a detailed report of the three year evaluation of the full service extended schools programme at the end of June. This report will show that full service extended schools have a positive impact on the attainment of pupils and their engagement with learning, family stability and enhanced life chances, and are generating positive outcomes for families and local people. Further evaluation of impact and activities of extended schools is planned, covering the increasing number of schools which will be offering extended services by 2010. This will include the extent to which different groups of pupils and families such as social class, ethnic composition and children with disabilities are taking up extended services. This information is not currently collected by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
	The DfES has a range of strategies to assess and monitor the extent to which schools are providing extended services. The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) monitor the extent to which the schools they are working with are providing access to services and activities. To date 1,175 secondary schools are providing all aspects of the core offer of extended services. In addition to these, 958 secondary schools are providing a varied menu of study support activities beyond the normal school day; 208 are providing parenting support programmes; 929 have in place swift and easy referral arrangements to targeted and specialist services; and 579 are providing community access to their facilities, including adult learning. In 2005 the DfES commissioned its own independent survey of activities in primary and secondary schools. Undertaken by BMRB Social Research, it is available on the DfES's website at:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR681.pdf.
	In addition to this, questions about what services schools are offering have been included in the 2007 school census which is completed by all schools and which is due to be available in September 2007. Finally, the DfES monitors extended school related research and surveys carried out by other organisations.
	Secondary schools are not required to provide childcare as part of their extended schools offer. However, we know that from the 2005 BMRB social research survey 61 per cent. of secondary schools provided before school activities and or child care, 95 per cent. provided after school activities and or childcare and 65 per cent. provided holiday activities and or child care.
	The TDA has undertaken research to examine demand for formal childcare for the 11 to 14 age range. This involved a small year long pilot to test demand as well as a bigger sample survey of schools to investigate what is already happening in schools for this age range. The research concluded that that there was insufficient parental demand for formal child care at secondary schools. It also showed that parents saw the varied menu of activities element of the extended schools core offer as providing a safe place for children to be both before and after school, 8 am to 6 pm and during school holidays.
	The forthcoming report on the evaluation of full service extended schools will contain a section on cost benefit which will include some analysis of charging. It will show that there is considerable variability in the method of charging. It will also show that schools tend to charge for regular child care but after that charging is often ad hoc and relatively low level. The Government have issued guidance to schools on charging through the 'Planning and Funding Guidance: a guide for schools, local authorities and their partner organisations'.

Foundation Degrees

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has commissioned on the way in which granting further education colleges the power to award foundation degrees will be perceived by  (a) students and prospective students and  (b) employers; and if he will place a copy of this research in the Library.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 6 June 2007
	The purpose of the proposal is to enable the Privy Council to grant Foundation Degree awarding powers to those Further Education Colleges who are capable of delivering the highest quality provision. In doing so it further liberalises the market and allows those Colleges who have established an impressive track record of delivering high quality HE provision, to perform to their full potential. For these Colleges this proposal will empower them further by allowing them to award Foundation Degrees.
	The proposal has been developed in dialogue with key stakeholders, including student and employer representative bodies, who have expressed broad support for the proposal.

General Teaching Council for England: Finance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding the Government provided to meet the start-up and running costs of the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) in each year since its creation; and what proportion of the GTC's budget this represented.

Jim Knight: Grant provided by this Department to contribute to the operational costs of the GTC is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Grant in aid (1)3,950 8,974 3,457 (2)784 — — — 
			 Grant 50 50 278 796 740 609 599 
			 Total DFES grant 4,000 9,024 3,735 1,580 740 609 599 
			 
			 Proportion of total income (percentage) 100 100 26 10 4 3 3 
			 (1) Grant in aid payments began in September 2000. Funding in 2000-01 therefore covered the part year period September 2000 to March 2001 inclusive. (2) The Department stopped paying grant in aid payments to the GTC at the end of 2003-2004 when the full registration fee became payable.

Government Auctions

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills where his Department publishes information about Government auctions which it arranges or to which it contributes in  (a) Blackpool,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) the North West; and when the next such auction will take place in each area.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department does not arrange auctions, however, we do use an organisation called Northern Realisations of Bolton to dispose of IT equipment that is no longer required. Auctions are held in Bolton. All markers and identifiers are removed from the equipment prior to the auction therefore it cannot be identified as DfES equipment and the auctioneers do not disclose supplier clients to purchasers.
	Northern Realisation advertise using Google Adwords,  Manchester Evening News, Bolton Evening News, Loot (North West edition) and  Lancashire Evening Telegraph. They also subscribe to the National Schools Procurement Directory.
	There is currently no DfES equipment being held by Northern Realisations for auction.

Higher Education: Midwives

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university academic staff specialising in midwifery there were in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The available information is given in the table. The figures cover staff whose primary academic discipline is midwifery. Due to significant changes to the staff record, comparable figures are not available for earlier years.
	
		
			  Academic staff at English Higher Education Institutions 
			  Academic year  Academic staff whose primary academic discipline is midwifery 
			 2003/04 85 
			 2004/05 105 
			 2005/06 120 
			  Notes: 1. Does not cover staff whose secondary academic discipline is midwifery. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) staff record data.

Languages: Schools

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support is being given by his Department to local education authorities to fund language instruction for the children of migrants from EU entrant countries from eastern Europe.

Jim Knight: Departmental funding is available via the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG). This is a ring-fenced grant which provides a contribution towards support for underachieving ethnic minority pupils and support for those pupils for whom English is an Additional Language. The total grant for 2007-08 is £179 million.
	In addition, £435 million of the £24.6 billion Schools Formula Spending Share for 2005-06 was distributed on the basis of numbers of children from underachieving ethnic minority groups and for those pupils for whom English is an Additional Language. The Dedicated Schools Grant allocations for 2007-08 will depend on January 2007 school census data.
	In October 2006, we announced that the Department would allocate £400,000 for an English as an Additional Language Excellence Programme. The funding will be spent in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to provide advice, guidance and training for local authorities and schools to provide good quality provision for new arrivals and teaching English as an Additional Language.

Loans: Students

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the projected total cost is to the public purse of the interest subsidy paid to the debt sale owners over the lifetime of the student loans which the Government proposes to sell.

Bill Rammell: We are at the early stages of implementing the Budget announcement to sell income-contingent student loans. Further details about the sale will be announced in due course. We are confident that the Government will obtain good value for money, as it is obliged to do by rules of Government accounting.

Missing Persons

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will take steps to set a programme of regular scheduled meetings of the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group over the next 12 months;
	(2)  what the next scheduled date is for a meeting of the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group; how his Department will be represented at that meeting; and what the report-back process will be to Ministers in his Department.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 22 May 2007
	The Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group is chaired by the Association of Chief Police Officers, supported by the Home Office. The next meeting is scheduled for the early part of July. Any forward programme of meetings for the Group will be considered in consultation with all Group members. Officials from my Department sit on the Group, and will report back to Ministers through the usual management channels.

Music: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding his Department provided for music tuition in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The funding of music services is the responsibility of local authorities and not central Government. Funding made available by Bexley local authority is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure on music services (not standards fund supported)( 1) 
			   Amount (£) 
			 2003-04 0 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 0 
			 2006-07 176,000 
			 2007-08 182,000 
			 (1) The data are drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements (Tables 1) submitted to the Department for Education and Skills.  Note: The Department is currently validating the 2007-08 data. It is subject to change by the local authority.

Nursery Schools: North East Region

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery school places were available in Gateshead, East and Washington, West in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2006-07.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the tables.
	Table 1 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in Gateshead, East and Washington, West parliamentary constituency area. Data are provided for 2006 only because data are not available at constituency level for 1997.
	
		
			  Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2,3)  filled by three and four-year-olds  Parliamentary constituency: Gateshead, East and Washington, West  Position in January 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5)  total 3-year-olds  maintained nursery and primary schools( 6)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 7)  total 4-year-olds 
			 2006 580 240 820 830 90 920 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for this parliamentary constituency for 1996-97 are not available. (4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	Gateshead, East and Washington, West parliamentary constituency is split between Gateshead and Sunderland local authority areas. Tables 2 and 3 provide information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds for each of these local authority areas respectively.
	
		
			  Table 2: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds  Local authority: Gateshead  Position in January each year 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 3-year-olds  maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 1,300 n/a 1,300 n/a n/a (5,6)2,200 
			 2007 1,200 (7)690 1,900 1,700 (8)270 1,900 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For 1997, four-year-old sub national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds  Local authority: Sunderland  Position in January each year 
			   3 - year - olds  4 - year - olds 
			   maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 3-year-olds  maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 2,400 n/a 2,400 n/a n/a (5,6)3,700 
			 2007 2,300 (7)390 2,700 2,800 (8)140 2,900 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For 1997, four-year-old sub national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 19/2007 "Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2007", available on my Department's website:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Pauline Hughes Consultancy

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what expertise in electoral practice and principle the Pauline Hughes Consultancy brought to its assessment of the appropriateness of electoral arrangements for deciding the continuance or establishment of grammar schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 11 June  2007
	 This review considered whether the grammar school ballot provisions were working as intended and whether any providers could administer the ballots process in addition to Electoral Reform Services which is named in regulations. The Pauline Hughes Consultancy had relevant expertise in the procedures and regulations relating to the future of grammar schools and was paid £2,732.40 for this and other work.

Primary Education: Drugs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans the Government have to introduce drugs education schemes to primary schools.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department's guidance, 'Drugs: Guidance for Schools (DfES 2004)', makes clear that drug education should start in primary schools and outlines the issues that should be covered at key stages 1 and 2, having regard for the age and maturity of the pupils concerned. As part of their drug education, pupils should learn how to make informed choices about their health, how to resist pressure to do wrong and to take more responsibility for their actions. The Government intend to consult shortly on proposals for a new drug strategy, and education in primary schools will be considered as part of that wider process.

Primary Education: Teaching Methods

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his latest estimate is of the number of primary school pupils receiving Government-sponsored one-to-one tuition in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and  (c) other subjects.

Jim Knight: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect data on the extent to which individual schools are choosing to provide one-to-one support for their pupils in particular subjects from their own resources.
	Through the Every Child A Reader programme approximately 2,300 six-year-olds in England will receive one-to-one tuition in early reading from highly skilled Reading Recovery teachers in this academic year. Reading Recovery is an intensive one-to-one support programme aimed at those young children with the greatest difficulties in learning to read. Every Child A Reader will be rolled out nationally from 2008-09 benefiting over 30,000 children a year by 2010-11. We also intend to develop a similar intensive one-to-one support programme in maths.
	The Making Good Progress pilot begins in the next academic year and will include one-to-one tuition of up to 10 hours in English and/or maths to pupils behind national expectations who are still making slow progress. Our latest estimate is that in pilot schools (which will be both primary and middle schools) in 2007/08 6,100 children in key stage 2 will receive one-to-one tuition in English, and the same in maths. We anticipate that a similar number of key stage 2 pupils will receive the one-to-one tuition in 2008/09.
	In the CSR it was announced that by 2010-11 300,000 pupils across both primary and secondary will be receiving one-to-one tuition in English and a further 300,000 pupils in maths.

Pupil Exclusions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of current pupils have been permanently excluded from school more than once, broken down by  (a) those receiving and not receiving free school meals,  (b) gender and  (c) ethnicity.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the table.
	Information relating to free school meal eligibility is not collected for permanently excluded pupils.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools ( 1) :  Number of pupils permanently excluded from school more than once by gender and ethnic group ( 2) —England 
			   Pupils who have been permanently excluded more than once during 2004/05 ( 2) 
			   Number( 3)  Percentage 
			  Gender   
			 Boys 20 0.25 
			 Girls 10 0.29 
			 Total 20 0.26 
			  Ethnic Group ( 4)   
			 White (7)— (7)— 
			 White British (7)— (7)— 
			 Irish 0 0.00 
			 Traveller of Irish heritage 0 0.00 
			 Gypsy/ Roma 0 0.00 
			 Any other White background 0 0.00 
			 Mixed 0 0.00 
			 White and Black Caribbean 0 0.00 
			 White and Black African 0 0.00 
			 White and Asian 0 0.00 
			 Any other Mixed background 0 0.00 
			 Asian 0 0.00 
			 Indian 0 0.00 
			 Pakistani 0 0.00 
			 Bangladeshi 0 0.00 
			 Any other Asian background 0 0.00 
			 Black (7)— (7)— 
			 Black Caribbean 0 0.00 
			 Black African (7)— (7)— 
			 Any other Black background 0 0.00 
			 Chinese 0 0.00 
			 Any other ethnic group 0 0.00 
			 Unclassified (6) 20 n/a 
			 All pupils (5) 20 0.26 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Includes non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (2) This analysis is based on incomplete pupil level data. Any findings based on these figures should be used with caution. Those pupils who have been permanently excluded from more than one different school during the 2004/05 school year have been selected. (3 )Number of pupils who have been permanently excluded more than once expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils who were permanently excluded of same gender and ethnic group. Based on incomplete pupil level data. (4) Pupils of compulsory school age and above have been classified according to their ethnic group. (5) Includes those pupils for whom information on their ethnic group was not sought, refused or is missing. (6) Information presented here has been derived from an extract of the National Pupil Database which has selected pupils with multiple cases of exclusion from different schools and linked to the available characteristic data (gender, ethnic group) collected via the School Census. (7) less than 5, or a rate based on less than 5  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.  Source:  School Census / National Pupil Database (6)

Pupils: Counselling

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age in each local authority area undertook anger management courses in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: DfES does not collect centrally data about specific approaches dealing with pupil behaviour.
	Supporting the psychological well-being and mental health of pupils is a key component of the school curriculum and of the new multi-agency structures and settings, such as children's centres, extended schools and the targeted youth support pilots, which are being developed under the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme.

Pupils: English Language

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps have been taken to ensure that staff in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools with high numbers of English as an additional language pupils are being supported in their teaching.

Jim Knight: The DfES launched a strategy for English as an additional language (EAL) in October 2003 as part of its Aiming High initiative for raising achievement of minority ethnic pupils. Central to this strategy was the professional development of teachers and teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools.
	Key initiatives since 2003 include an extensive EAL programme delivered through the primary national strategy involving a package of professional development for mainstream staff. Professional development materials on EAL have been rolled out as part of this initiative and are available to all primary schools.
	A secondary national strategy programme for EAL was launched in June 2006 which builds on from this work to promote awareness of best practice in EAL teaching in secondary schools.
	Local authorities also receive additional funding from the ethnic minority achievement grant (EMAG). EMAG is distributed to local authorities by formula which includes the number of EAL pupils in each LA, with locally determined formulae devolving at least 85 per cent. to schools. The grant is £179 million in 2007-08.
	EMAG provides resources for schools to employ specialist EAL support teachers and teaching assistants and for local authorities to maintain a small advisory team. Some local authorities employ a team of specialist EAL teachers whose services are bought in by schools.
	The DfES will launch a New Arrivals Excellence Programme in July 2007. This aims to build capacity in local authorities and schools in England to deliver good quality provision and point towards the best training opportunities.
	The Department has published two documents designed to support school assessment of EAL pupils and funded accredited specialist training in EAL for teachers and teaching assistants between 2004 and 2006. These courses have continued despite no longer being funded by the Department.

Departments: Intimidation

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints of bullying have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

Parmjit Dhanda: From April 2006 to March 2007, my Department investigated less than five official complaints of bullying, this information is therefore suppressed on the grounds of confidentiality.
	The Department believes that each and every individual has the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect. Harassment and bullying at work can cause fear, stress and anxiety and even sickness among employees. It can lead to serious legal consequences for both the harasser and the employer. As such, we do not tolerate unacceptable behaviour towards others. Formal complaints are investigated quickly and thoroughly and, where complaints are upheld, appropriate disciplinary action is taken. All cases are treated seriously.
	The overall aim of our harassment and bullying policy is to prevent such unacceptable behaviour occurring but, where it does occur, to ensure that appropriate and effective action is taken to deal with it and prevent it happening again. This applies to everyone in the Department. Every individual is personally responsible for their own behaviour, and every manager is responsible for enforcing the policy in accordance with the guidance and procedures set out in our Staff Handbook.

School Food Trust: Stoke on Trent

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the location of regional training centres for the School Food Trust; and if he will meet interested parties to discuss the options for one in Stoke-on-Trent.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Secretary of State has asked the School Food Trust (SFT) to lead on the work to establish regional training centres (RTCs), which will act as centres of excellence for training school catering staff. The SFT will be publishing an interim prospectus on its website on 15 June 2007 setting out the business planning requirements and the principles for the capital funding distribution for RTCs. Location of the RTCs will depend on the applications received but our aim is to have a National network. The interested parties in Stoke-on-Trent may wish to contact the SFT in the first instance to discuss their options.

Schools: Drinking Water

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that local education authorities and individual schools will have free, fresh  (a) drinking water and  (b) chilled drinking water available to school children by 1 September;
	(2)  what targets have been set to measure the meeting by schools of the Healthy Schools Standard for the availability of free, fresh water in schools by 1 September; and what percentage of schools are expected to achieve those targets;
	(3)  what procedures have been put in place by Ofsted for the auditing of the availability and provision of free, fresh  (a) drinking water and  (b) chilled drinking water throughout the school day as part of the new nutritional standards for schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what funding his Department  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make available to local education authorities and individual schools to ensure that they meet the nutritional standards to provide free, fresh (i) drinking water and (ii) chilled drinking water throughout the school day by 1 September 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 require that
	" school shall have a wholesome supply of water for domestic purposes including a supply of drinking water".
	The new nutritional standards for school food require that drinking water is provided free of charge to registered pupils. Chilled water is not a requirement of the standards. We are investing close to £500 million between 2005 and 2011 to assist authorities and schools in improving school food and drink.
	Ofsted will be monitoring schools' approaches to healthier eating as part of their regular inspections of schools.
	Providing free drinking water and meeting the new nutritional standards are key criteria under the healthy eating theme of the National Healthy Schools programme. We have set a target for all schools to be working towards Healthy School Status by 2009, with 75 per cent. of schools achieving the status by that time.

Schools: Standards

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools were made subject to special measures in each local education authority in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested was provided by Ofsted in response to the PQs numbered 132878 and 132879 and is available in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The number of primary and secondary schools being placed in special measures is now considerably less than in 1997/98, despite a tougher inspection regime. So far during the current academic year 116 primary and 28 secondary schools have been placed in this Ofsted category. The figures for the 1997/98 academic year were 210 primaries and 43 secondaries.
	Schools in special measures are now also being turned around more quickly. Primary schools now spend an average of 16 months in special measures and secondary schools 22 months, compared with 23 months and 28 months respectively in 1997. Our reforms in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 will reduce turn round times further. Under the new arrangement authorities will be expected to be more active in preventing school failure and more decisive in tackling it where it occurs.

Special Educational Needs: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many special educational needs schools there are in Hertfordshire; and how many school places there were in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: The available information is provided in the table.
	Information on the number of school places is not collected centrally therefore information on the number of pupils on roll in special schools has been provided.
	
		
			  Special schools: Number of schools and pupils.  Position in January each year: 1997 to 2006—Hertfordshire local authority 
			   Number of schools  Number of pupils ( 1) 
			  ( 2) Maintained ( 2) Non-maintained  Total ( 2) Maintained ( 2) Non-maintained  Total 
			 1997 27 1 28 2,055 66 2,121 
			 1998 27 1 28 2,106 66 2,172 
			 1999 27 1 28 2,115 67 2,182 
			 2000 25 2 27 2,037 134 2,171 
			 2001 26 1 27 2,077 64 2,141 
			 2002 26 1 27 2,088 63 2,151 
			 2003 26 1 27 2,128 57 2,185 
			 2004 26 1 27 2,123 57 2,180 
			 2005 26 1 27 2,158 46 2,204 
			 2006 25 1 26 2,082 54 2,136 
			 (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. (2) Up until 2003 the 'maintained'/'non-maintained' status of special schools was derived from information as reported by schools. There are known quality issues with this information. From 2003 the 'maintained'/'non-maintained' split of special schools has been taken from another, more reliable source.  Source:  School's Census

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of current pupils with  (a) statemented special educational needs (SEN) and  (b) non-statemented SEN have received a permanent exclusion from (i) maintained mainstream and (ii) other schools (A) once, (B) twice, (C) more than twice and (D) more than five times.

Parmjit Dhanda: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools( 1) : number of pupils permanently excluded from school by special educational needs (SEN)( 2)  2004/05, England 
			   Maintained primary and secondary schools 
			   Pupils with statements of SEN  Pupils with SEN without statements  Pupils with no identified SEN  Total 
			  Number of permanent exclusions per pupil  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3) 
			 One 570 6.9 4,150 50.4 3,480 42.3 8,200 99.7 
			 Two (4)— (4)— 10 0.1 10 0.1 20 0.3 
			 Three to five 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 More than five 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 Total 570 7.0 4,160 50.6 3,490 42.5 8,230 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			   Special  s chools 
			   Pupils with statements of SEN  Pupils with SEN without statements  Pupils with no identified SEN  Total 
			  Number of permanent exclusions per pupil  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3) 
			 One 210 81.7 (4)— (4)— 40 17.1 250 100.0 
			 Two 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 Three to five 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 More than five 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 Total 210 81.7 (4)— (4)— 40 17.1 250 100.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Includes non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (2) This analysis is based on incomplete pupil level data. Any findings based on these figures should be used with caution. Those pupils who have been permanently excluded from more than one different school during the 2004/05 school year have been selected. (3) Number of pupils who have been permanently excluded expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils who were permanently excluded from same type of school. Based on incomplete pupil level data. (4) Less than five, or a rate based on less than five. (5) Information presented here has been derived from an extract of the national pupil database which has selected pupils with multiple cases of exclusion from different schools collected via 2006 school census and linked to the available characteristic data (special educational needs) collected via the 2006 school census.  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.  Source: School Census/National Pupil Database

Special Educational Needs: Training

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are taken to ensure that teachers in training are given a basic understanding of the range of special educational needs they are likely to encounter in mainstream schools.

Parmjit Dhanda: In order to be awarded qualified teacher status, all trainee teachers must demonstrate that they understand their responsibilities under the statutory special educational needs code of practice, know how to seek advice from specialists on less common types of SEN, can differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEN, and can identify and support pupils who experience behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
	We are proposing that from September 2007 the standards for qualified teacher status will be strengthened to require teachers to know and comply with current legislation on the well-being of children and young people, to know and understand the role of others when dealing with children who have SEN or disabilities, and to communicate effectively with parents and carers.
	The current induction standards require newly qualified teachers to demonstrate that they can plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils in their classes with SEN, with or without a statement. The standards also demand that they work collaboratively with both other teachers and specialists to ensure that provision is suitable for SEN pupils. The revised standards framework will reinforce, build on and strengthen the current standards surrounding SEN.
	Once qualified, all teachers are expected to discuss their own development needs in performance management reviews, and to address development priorities. This could include strengthening knowledge and understanding of SEN. Where schools have identified a need to strengthen knowledge and understanding of SEN, as a school improvement priority, this should be addressed through their school improvement and development plans.
	All schools receive a school development grant which they are able to use to support improvements in any aspect of teaching and learning. A wide variety of courses are available covering SEN, ranging from awareness-raising through to in-depth studies leading to specific qualifications. It is, however, a matter for individual teachers and their schools to determine their own particular training and development needs. Local authorities may retain a proportion of this grant, under certain conditions, to provide specific training and development of SEN.
	The Department's published SEN strategy, 'Removing Barriers to Achievement' recognised the importance of training and committed us to work closely with the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to ensure that initial teacher training and programmes of continuing professional development provide a good grounding in core skills and knowledge of SEN. We have commissioned the TDA to carry forward a range of initiatives designed to improve and strengthen the SEN skills and confidence of trainee, newly qualified and established teachers. These initiatives are being implemented and evaluated over the period 2005-08 at a cost of approximately £1.1 million.
	Ofsted will be undertaking a thematic review of the journey the intending teacher takes in terms of acquiring SEN and disability knowledge and skills during their initial training and induction. It is envisaged that the fieldwork for this will begin in September 2007.

Student Loans Company

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to pass Student Loans Company (SLC) money deducted from a former student's monthly salary onto the SLC immediately after deduction; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Student loans repayments are not transferred to the Student Loans Company. They reduce the net assets, representing outstanding loans, on the Department for Education and Skills balance sheet. It is only information about repayments made by individual borrowers that is passed to the Company to allow it to issue annual statements. Once that information is received by the Company, repayments are attributed to each month of the tax year in which they were made by the borrower and monthly interest is calculated accordingly. This ensures that even if there is a delay in repayment details reaching the Company, the borrower does not pay any additional interest. No borrower pays too much interest as a result of the time lag in updating their account and nor does the Department or the SLC gain any additional income from the interest paid.

Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking  (a) to extend workplace training and  (b) to ensure that older people can improve skills.

Phil Hope: holding answer 21 May 2007
	Train to Gain is a new brokerage service designed to support businesses in finding the right training and skills for them to succeed. It helps to meet business demands through impartial advice linked to high quality training that is delivered in the workplace, wherever and whenever best meets the needs of the company. As at March 2007 a total of 135,860 employees were in programmes of learning, of which 23,610 (18 per cent.) were aged 50 or over. Plans are already under way to expand the Train to Gain service and the Leitch Review has recommended a significant further expansion of the programme. The Government response to the Leitch Review will be published this summer.
	More widely, older people benefit from the skills strategy, in particular our priorities to help people without the foundation of employability represented by basic skills and a first full level 2 qualification.

Aggresive Children Pupils

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what  (a) training and  (b) guidance is provided to teachers on the physical restraint of aggressive pupils.

Jim Knight: Individual schools are best placed to make decisions about the training needs of their staff. A number of organisations offer training in physical restraint and related techniques such as de-escalation. With funding from the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills, the British Institute of Learning Disabilities has established an accreditation system for organisations offering such training.
	DFES Circular 10/98 provides schools with general guidance on the use of force to control or restrain pupils. This is currently being reviewed with the aim of publishing revised guidance later this term. The Department also provides more specialised guidance on physical intervention with pupils with special educational needs.

Young People: Unemployment

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to tackle the number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in employment, education or training undertaking apprenticeships.

Phil Hope: Our 14-19 implementation plan commits us to making an offer of learning to every young person on completion of year 11 ensuring that they can progress to further study. In addition the Connexions Service supports 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training and will advise them on a range of options, including apprenticeships. A quarter of a million apprentices are currently in learning. We are introducing an entitlement to funding for an apprenticeship place so that every young person leaving school who wants to continue their learning in a work-based environment should be able to. We expect to offer this entitlement at the same time as that to study any one of the 14 diplomas, in 2013.